Syndication: The Corpus Christi Caller Times
Houston, Texas (AP) — Nicholas is now downgraded to a tropical storm, but it gained strength overnight as hurricane dumping more than a foot of rain along the the same area swamped by Hurricane Harvey in 2017:
1230 AM CDT 14 September — Hurricane #Nicholas has made landfall on the eastern part of the Matagorda Peninsula, about 10 miles west-southwest of Sargent Beach, Texas. Maximum sustained winds were 75 MPH with higher gusts at landfall.
Latest: https://t.co/t0VkuDIHwk pic.twitter.com/Ymbk7CyUVE
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 14, 2021
At least 360,000 power outages are reported in the Houston area alone:
4 AM CDT 14th September Key Messages for Tropical Storm #Nicholas. Heavy rainfall resulting in life-threatening flash & urban flooding expected to impact upper Texas coast, Louisiana, southern Mississippi, & far southern Alabama.
More Info: https://t.co/t0VkuDr67K pic.twitter.com/7NncFxOV2W
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 14, 2021
The National Hurricane Center says the storm made landfall on the eastern part of the Matagorda Peninsula and was soon downgraded to a tropical storm. It’s also drenching storm-battered Louisiana and bringing the potential for life-threatening flash floods across the Deep South. Galveston, Texas, has seen nearly 14 inches of rain so far, while the flood-prone Houston area has received more than 6 inches of rain.
Louisiana, already hard hit by Ida, is bracing for more rainfall.
Nicholas is the 14th named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. The season officially began on May 22nd and ends Nov. 30th.
