Hurricane Nicholas makes landfall in Texas, threatening Houston and Ida-ravaged Louisiana

Hurricane Nicholas grew into a Category 1 storm by the time it made landfall near Matagorda Bay, Texas, early Tuesday, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. The National Hurricane Center warned late Monday night that "life-threatening flash flooding impacts, especially in urbanized metropolitan areas, are possible across portions of the upper Texas Gulf Coast into far southwestern Louisiana." The streets of Matagorda Beach were already flooded from storm surge, meteorologist and storm chaser Reed Timmer documented early Tuesday.
Even before Nicholas made landfall, tens of thousands of Texans in the greater Houston area and elsewhere on the coast were without electricity. The major concern with Nicholas is that it will move slowly across Texas and into southwestern Louisiana, dumping more than a foot of rain in areas, especially in flood-prone Houston. Nearly the entire Texas coastline was under a tropical storm warning, and Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards (D) declared a state of emergency Sunday night, noting that his state is still recovering from not just Hurricane Ida but also last year's Hurricane Laura and flooding in May.
Houston, soaked by 2017's slow-moving Hurricane Harvey, is preparing for more flooding Tuesday and Wednesday, but University of Miami Hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy said he thinks Nicholas "will be magnitudes less than Harvey in every regard." Houston's school district, the largest in Texas, is closed through Tuesday, and Harry Styles had to cancel his show in Houston on Monday night. "Safety must take priority, so please go home and be safe," he tweeted. "I'm so sorry, thank you for understanding."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Nicholas is the 14th named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. The only other years since 1996 with 14 or more storms by Sept. 12 were 2005, 2011, 2012, and 2020, according to Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
The UK's best fishing spots
The Week Recommends Beautiful British rivers and lakes for anglers of all levels
By Irenie Forshaw, The Week UK
-
The sneaky rise of whooping cough
Under the Radar The measles outbreak isn't the only one to worry about
By Theara Coleman, The Week US
-
7 nightlife destinations that are positively electric
The Week Recommends Accra, Seoul, Berlin: These are a few of the cities that come alive after dark
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US
-
Severe storms kill dozens across central US
Speed Read At least 40 people were killed over the weekend by tornadoes, wildfires and dust storms
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Rain helps Los Angeles wildfires, risks mudslides
Speed Read The weather provided relief for crews working to contain wildfires, though rain over a burn area ups the chances of flooding and mudslides
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Death toll rises in LA fires as wind lull allows progress
Speed Read At least 24 people have died and 100,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Biden cancels Italy trip as raging LA fires spread
Speed Read The majority of the fires remain 0% contained
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Fast-spreading Los Angeles wildfires spark panic
Speed Read About 30,000 people were under an evacuation order as the inferno spread
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Hundreds feared dead in French Mayotte cyclone
Speed Read Cyclone Chido slammed into Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean
By Peter Weber, The Week US
-
Thirteen missing after Red Sea tourist boat sinks
Speed Read The vessel sank near the Egyptian coastal town of Marsa Alam
By Arion McNicoll, The Week UK
-
Global plastics summit starts as COP29 ends
Speed Read Negotiators gathering in South Korea seek an end to the world's plastic pollution crisis, though Trump's election may muddle the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US