HOUSTON (AP) – The National Hurricane Center in Miami says Hurricane Nicholas has made landfall along the Texas coast, bringing the threat of up to 20 inches of rainfall to parts of the Gulf Coast. The hurricane center says the category 1 storm touched down on the eastern part of the Matagorda Peninsula, about 10 miles west southwest of Sargent Beach, Texas, with maximum winds of 75 mph. It’s now been downgraded to a tropical storm. Nicholas was the 14th named storm of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season. The biggest unknown about Nicholas was how much rainfall it would produce in Texas, especially around flood-prone Houston. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says authorities have placed rescue teams and resources in the Houston area and along the coast. Storm-battered Louisiana was also expected to see heavy rain and flooding from Nicholas.
