Tropical Storm Nicholas updates: Houston, Harris County leaders to give updates on Tropical Storm Nicholas

HOUSTON — Tropical Storm Nicholas is edging closer to landfall in Texas. It’s expected to have a significant impact in Southeast Texas. In Houston, we can expect the heaviest rainfall and flood threat on Monday and Tuesday with gusty winds as well.

RELATED: School closings associated with Tropical Storm Nicholas

RELATED: High-water locations in Houston area due to Tropical Storm Nicholas

Harris County Meteorologist Jeff Lindner has advised that people stay off the roads after 6 p.m. Monday evening as the worst of the weather moves in.

Weather updates are below from KHOU 11 meteorologists Tim Pandajis, Addison Green, Chita Craft and David Paul can be found here and on our YouTube page. We also have updates from local officials and any school district closings/cancelations.

7 p.m. — Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner will hold news conferences tonight to talk about Tropical Storm Nicholas’ impact on the region.

Turner is expected to start at about 7:30 p.m. and Hidalgo is expected to start at about 9 p.m.

More Tropical Storm Nicholas coverage on the KHOU 11 YouTube page:

6:07 p.m. — Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 17 Texas counties due to Tropical Storm Nicholas.

Counties included in the state disaster declaration:

• Aransas
• Brazoria
• Calhoun
• Chambers
• Galveston
• Harris
• Jackson
• Jasper
• Jefferson
• Matagorda
• Montgomery
• Newton
• Nueces
• Orange
• Refugio
• San Patricio
• Victoria

“Texans throughout the Gulf Coast should prepare now for the impact of Tropical Storm Nicholas, which is expected to bring severe rain and flooding to these communities,” Abbott said. “The State of Texas is working closely with officials on the ground to provide the resources and support needed to keep our communities safe, 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.”

5:35 p.m. — As Tropical Storm Nicholas bears down on Texas, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) is preparing the grid to maintain reliability in the face of rain, winds and potential flooding.

In addition to officially alerting ERCOT market participants of the weather threat, ERCOT has acted to reduce planned maintenance-related outages in the area most likely to be affected by Nicholas and instructed power companies to implement their emergency procedures in preparation for the storm.

Any power outages caused by the storm will most likely be at the local distribution level. Local outages can be caused by factors ranging from high winds toppling power poles to tree limbs falling on power lines.

Residents and businesses experiencing power outages should contact their local electric service providers to report those outages and receive updates on restoration times.

5:25 p.m. — Sam Houston State University’s main campus, The Woodlands Center, and College of Osteopathic Medicine will close at 6 p.m. Monday. Old Main Market and General’s Market will remain open until 8 p.m. All campuses and Newton Gresham Library will remain closed Tuesday except for essential personnel. Dining Services will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

All schools and facilities of The Varnett Public School will be closed Tuesday.

5:05 p.m. — A Storm Surge Warning is in effect until 11:45 p.m. for Chambers County.

5 p.m. — The Galveston Ferry currently has three boats running with a minimal wait in Galveston and Bolivar.

5 p.m. — Memorial Hermann announced closings due to the storm:

• All Memorial Hermann Imaging Centers and Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation locations will be closing at 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 13. Check back regularly for updates on when these locations plan to re-open.
• Memorial Hermann Urgent Care in Friendswood and Memorial Hermann Urgent Care in Clear Lake closed at 3 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 13. All other Memorial Hermann Urgent Care locations will close at 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 13. Check back regularly for updates on when these locations plan to re-open. 24/7 Virtual Urgent Care continues to be available.
• Memorial Hermann COVID-19 vaccine clinics will be closed Tuesday, Sept. 14, and Wednesday, Sept. 15. To receive your vaccine, we ask that you visit a walk-in location once our COVID-19 vaccine clinics reopen on Thursday, Sept. 16. Learn more about Memorial Hermann’s walk-in locations and hours.

5 p.m. — Reporter Cheryl Mercedes is reporting on bayou and stream levels as Tropical Storm Nicholas moves closer

You can check bayou and stream levels here.

4:33 p.m. — Houston ISD canceled all after-school activities and sporting events on Monday.

The district also canceled in-person and virtual classes on Tuesday. Also, all HISD offices and schools will be closed Tuesday. Students will not have to make up the missed school day.

Here are two more school closings that were just announced:

• Boling ISD will be closed on Tuesday.
• All Prairie View A&M University campuses will be closed through Tuesday.

4:30 p.m. — A heavy truck crash on the Gulf Freeway near the South Loop caused a traffic nightmare on Monday evening. The Texas Department of Transportation said multiple lanes were blocked due to the crash. It’s unclear if anyone was injured.