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Tropical storm watches and warnings have been issued along the Texas coast.
Tropical Storm Nicholas has made its way to the Gulf of Mexico coast and is expected to bring torrential rains to some areas still recovering from Hurricane Ida.
The system strengthened after a tropical low on Sunday morning in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, currently carrying maximum sustained winds up to 40 mph and moving north-northwest at 15 mph. The center of the storm is currently about 300 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Rio Grande River.
Nicholas is expected to become more organized and stronger as he gets closer to the South Texas coast in the next 24-36 hours. Landing is scheduled for late Monday through early Tuesday morning, but the impact will begin hours earlier.
Tropical humidity from the storm is already triggering scattered showers and thunderstorms along the western Gulf coast on Sunday afternoon. Flash floods along the coast are possible in the next 12 to 24 hours, and by Monday morning, the center of the storm will be off the northeast coast of Mexico.
A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Rio Grande River in Port Aransas, Texas, including cities such as Corpus Christi and South Padre Island. A tropical storm watch is in effect from Port Aransas along the Texas coast to High Island, which includes Galveston and Victoria.
Nicholas is the 14th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which is currently at its peak, with five tropical disturbances monitored across the Atlantic basin.
Nicholas’ outer bands could potentially affect parts of the Louisiana coast that were devastated by Hurricane Ida last month, such as New Orleans.
Flash flood watches are now in effect from Brownsville, Texas to Lake Charles, Louisiana. Storm surge watch was also issued along parts of the Texas coast, with waves 2 to 4 feet expected.
Nicholas is expected to weaken on Tuesday but will also slow down, which could increase the risk of flash floods. As the winds ease, heavy rains will continue and creep over eastern Texas through the middle of the week.
The main widespread danger for Nicholas will be heavy rains and threats of flash floods. Heavy rains will hit much of the Texas and Louisiana coasts over the next few days.
Between 6 and 10 inches of rain is forecast for Galveston, Texas, and Lake Charles, Louisiana. The Houston metropolitan area could see between 2 and 4 inches, which is higher closer to the coast. South of Lake Charles, 10 to 15 inches is possible.
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