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Tropical Storm Nicholas update: What's next for the Houston area
Gusty winds were reported across the Houston region along with some flooding in coastal communities.
HOUSTON — Hurricane Nicholas made landfall along the Texas coast early Tuesday morning. The Category 1 storm came ashore near Sargent in eastern Matagorda County, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Nicholas is now a tropical storm centered directly over Houston with sustained winds down to 45 mph:
Downgraded to tropical storm
With the 1 a.m. update, Nicholas was still a hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and was moving to the north-northeast at 10 mph. It quickly caused power outages on Galveston Island and other spots along the coast before also causing power outages inland into Houston and areas north as well.
In the 4 a.m. update, the NHC downgraded Nicholas back to a tropical storm with winds at 70 mph. The current forecast track takes Nicholas on an east-northeast path toward the Texas-Louisiana border. It will exit the Houston area, but with showers lingering, on Tuesday afternoon. A flood threat persists to our east:
Watch the latest Houston weather update
Here’s the key messaging from KHOU 11 Meteorologists Chita Craft and Tim Pandajis early Tuesday: