Parts Of The Texas Gulf Coast May See 20 Inches Of Rain From Tropical Storm Nicholas

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Nicholas is expected to move along the coast in the western Gulf of Mexico before making landfall late Monday afternoon or evening.

NOAA/Esri/HERE/Garmin/Earthstar Geographics

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Tropical Storm Nicholas filled a large portion of the Gulf of Mexico Monday morning, as seen in this satellite photo taken around sunrise.

NOAA/NESDIS/STAR GOES-East

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NOAA/NESDIS/STAR GOES-East

Tropical Storm Nicholas filled a large portion of the Gulf of Mexico Monday morning, as seen in this satellite photo taken around sunrise.

NOAA/NESDIS/STAR GOES-East

Nicholas will trigger «considerable flash and urban flooding as it brings total rainfall of 8 to 16 inches across coastal areas in middle and upper Texas over several days this week, the NHC said.

For a broader section of the coast, including southwest Louisiana, people should expect to see 5 to 10 inches of rain, the agency said.

«This is a life-threatening situation, the NHC said, urging people in areas under broad storm surge warnings to act now to protect life and property, and to obey any local evacuation orders.

As of Monday morning, the storm was moving both slowly and erratically, the hurricane center said. Forecasters expect Nicholas to gain a bit of forward speed and move more to the north — a pivot that will largely determine which areas are hit the hardest.

The system is expected to make landfall late Monday afternoon or in the evening. But before it does so, Nicholas will likely move along the shore, dropping significant amounts of rain on the coasts of northeastern Mexico and south Texas, the NHC said.