Tropical Storm Nicholas moved slowly through the Gulf Coast on Tuesday, drenching Texas and Louisiana with torrential rain, flooding streets and leaving hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power.
No deaths have been reported from Nicholas, which weakened to a tropical depression on Tuesday evening, since it made landfall as a hurricane along the Texas Gulf Coast early on Tuesday, packing 121 km-per-hour winds.
It is the second major storm to threaten the region in recent weeks after Hurricane Ida killed more than two dozen people and left more than one million without power in Louisiana.
The storm is expected to progress slowly into Louisiana, Mississippi and the Florida panhandle through Thursday.
The storm could dump up to 51 centimetres of rain in parts of central and southern Louisiana, which may hinder restoration efforts.
By late afternoon more than 94,000 customers in Louisiana and 186,000 in Texas remained without power, according to a Reuters tally.
US President Joe Biden declared an emergency for Louisiana and ordered federal assistance for local responders due to the effects of Nicholas, the White House said.
Mr Biden has made the climate crisis one of his top priorities in recent weeks, having issued a “code red” on the recent extreme weather events across the US.
“Every part of the country, every part of the country is getting hit by extreme weather,” Mr Biden said last week at a briefing in New Jersey, which is reeling from the destruction caused by Ida.
-
Fire chief TJ Pellegrin checks if residents are safe after Hurricane Ida passed in Bourg, Louisiana. Ida struck the coast of Louisiana on Sunday as a powerful Category 4 storm, 16 years to the day after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. AFP -
Debris on a street in downtown New Orleans, Louisiana. Hurricane Ida packed winds of 240km/h. AFP -
A building collapsed and damaged vehicles during Hurricane Ida in New Orleans, Louisiana. AFP -
Michael Brown, who is homeless, rides out Hurricane Ida from his bed under a highway overpass in New Orleans. AFP -
More than one million homes were left without power in the region. EPA -
Firefighters cut through trees that fell on a road in Bourg. AFP -
Montegut fire chief Toby Henry walks back to his fire truck in the rain. AFP -
A girl blocks her face from the wind and rain produced by Hurricane Ida in New Orleans. AP -
A section of roof that was blown off a building in the French Quarter of New Orleans. AP -
A firefighter rests after the back-up generator went down in Bourg. AFP -
People cross an intersection during Hurricane Ida in New Orleans. AFP -
Rain batters Canal Street in New Orleans. AFP -
Water enters a beach house in Grand Isle, Louisiana. Reuters -
Firefighters pray as the hurricane eye wall gets close to the fire station in Bourg, Louisiana. AFP -
US President Joe Biden speaks about the hurricane alongside Deanne Criswell, administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, in Washington. AFP -
Utility workers play in the wind from Hurricane Ida as they wait for the storm to pass to begin repairs in New Orleans. AFP -
A utility worker photographs waves as they slam against a sea wall in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi. AP -
An abandoned vehicle is half submerged in a ditch in Bay Saint Louis. AP -
Firefighters look out the window from a shelter as hurricane Ida passes in Bourg. AFP -
A truck is seen in heavy winds and rain from Hurricane Ida in Bourg. AFP -
Waves crash against the New Canal Lighthouse on Lake Pontchartrain. Reuters -
A satellite image provided by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows lightning swirling around the eye of Hurricane Ida as the storm approaches the Louisiana coast. AP -
A satellite image shows Hurricane Ida in the Gulf of Mexico and approaching the coast of Louisiana. Reuters -
A man takes pictures of high waves along the shore of Lake Pontchartrain. AP -
Jesse Perez and Sergio Hijuelo walk through flooded streets near Lake Pontchartrain. AP -
Jesse Perez and Sergio Hijuelo watch the high waves on Lake Pontchartrain. AP -
Tony Hilliard and his family expose themselves to the elements as Hurricane Ida begins to make landfall in New Orleans. AP -
Vehicles on a flooded street in Biloxi. AP -
Jones Park in Gulfport, Mississippi, is flooded from Hurricane Ida's storm surge. AP -
A resident on a jet ski tows a canoe to a flooded house in Bay Saint Louis. AP -
A man takes photos on the edge of Lake Pontchartrain. AP -
A wall of sandbags in Montegut, Louisiana. AFP
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards declared a state of emergency on Sunday night before the storm made landfall, as the state is still recovering from Ida and last year's Hurricane Laura.
“The most severe threat to Louisiana is in the south-west portion of the state, where recovery from Hurricane Laura and the May flooding is ongoing,” Mr Edwards said.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency in 17 cities and three counties, and said rescue teams have been sent to the Houston area and along the coast to confront any flash flooding.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said rainfall could overwhelm the city's streets and flood homes.
“This city is very resilient. We know what we need to do. We know about preparing,” Mr Turner said.
Houston suspended light rail and bus services on Monday, and hundreds of flights have been cancelled or delayed.
The city was devastated in 2017 when Harvey slammed into Texas as a Category 4 hurricane, unleashing up to 102 centimetres of rain and killing more than 100 people.
Though Nicholas is not expected to be anywhere near as destructive as Harvey, the National Weather Service forecasts rainfall of up to 41 centimetres in some parts of Texas.
Mr Turner urged Houston residents to stay off streets and highways. The National Weather Service called it a “life-threatening” situation.
Nicholas is the 14th named storm of the season, a number that typically is not reached until November.
