Hurricane Nicholas strikes Texas with deluge of rain, raising flood fears

Hurricane Nicholas struck the Texas coast early Tuesday, threatening widespread flooding with an expected deluge of up to 20 inches of rainfall.

Nicholas, which upgraded from a tropical storm to a hurricane with 75 mph winds before landfall, was striking the same parts of the Gulf Coast that heavily flooded in 2017 from Hurricane Harvey.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said authorities placed rescue teams and pre-positioned equipment in the Houston area and along the coast as he declared disaster areas in numerous counties ahead of the storm.

“The State of Texas is working closely with officials on the ground to provide the resources and support needed to keep our communities safe," Abbott said in a press release. "But it is up to all Texans in the path of this storm to take precautions, heed the guidance of officials, and remain vigilant as this severe weather moves through Texas." 

Nicholas was the 14th named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, The National Weather Service said. It was expected to move into Louisiana with heavy rains on Wednesday.