Hurricane watches issued in Texas ahead of Nicholas

Tropical Storm Nicholas could marque landfall connected the Gulf Coast of Texas by Monday evening, according to forecasts from the National Hurricane Center.

As of 4 a.m. CT connected Monday, Nicholas continuing its northward way astatine 14 mph, hugging the shorelines of Mexico and Texas portion packing maximum sustained winds of 60 mph.

The National Hurricane Center projects that Nicholas volition proceed to determination northward and yet marque landfall successful the coastal country of Texas betwixt Corpus Christi and Galveston sometime Monday evening oregon Tuesday morning.

The bureau projects that immoderate coastal areas of the authorities could acquisition "hurricane conditions" opening Monday day and into Tuesday morning. NOAA has issued hurricane watches for the areas of projected landfall.

According to the NHC, Nicholas volition bring "life-threatening" tempest surge and could flood coastal regions betwixt Port Aransas and San Luis Pass.

Once making landfall, Nicholas volition apt marque a crook to the northeast, pursuing the crook successful the state's coastline. The tempest could bring dense rainfall to the Houston country earlier moving into Louisiana — a authorities that was devastated by Hurricane Ida conscionable weeks ago.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Sunday that Texas has begun "mobilizing resources" successful mentation for the storm.

"This is simply a tempest that could permission dense rain, arsenic good arsenic winds and astir apt flooding successful assorted antithetic regions on the Gulf Coast," Abbott said successful a video posted to Twitter. "We impulse you to perceive to upwind alerts and heed section warnings from section officials. "