As Tropical Storm Nicholas developed over the weekend, it is expected to bring troubled weather to Texas this week. The National Hurricane Center has cautioned residents of the state for possible situations that may arise.
Tropical Storm Nicholas is showing strengths that could intensify into a hurricane before it makes landfall if it stays in the water longer than what is currently forecasted. The storm may reach possible winds of up to 65 mph come Tuesday morning.
The National Hurricane Center’s forecast cone shows that the storm is moving generally northward in the area of the Texas Coast. The cone expands dramatically after Tuesday because of the uncertain track of the storm.
Several advisories are already in place because of the expected rain, wind, and even storm surge, CW 39 reported.
Most of Southeast Texas, including Houston, is under a flash flood watch due to the expected heavy rain that will come in waves this week. NOAA implies upwards of 10-15” is likely to happen.
There are also storm watches and warnings that are already in effect for any possible tropical storm force winds. The storm watches and warnings are also in place for potential surges that may reach up to 2-4 feet.
Watches are released to serve as a warning or heads-up that some conditions are likely to happen but are not impending just yet. Warnings released mean that the threat is possible within 36 hours.
Some models take the Storm Nicholas west of Houston. According to experts, there is a high possibility of heavy rain and there is a higher flash flood threat. If the storm comes closer to Houston or east of Houston, wind threat will also be higher, but rain totals would lower down.
