(NEW YORK) — Nicholas, now slamming Louisiana with heavy rain, is expected to stall over the state through Friday, bringing more destruction as residents still recover from deadly Hurricane Ida.
Six to 14 inches of rain has already inundated Texas and Louisiana, with more on the way. Flash flood watches have been issued in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
Four to 10 more inches of rain is expected over the next three days from southern Louisiana through New Orleans and into the Florida Panhandle. Flooding is possible including in New Orleans.
Slow-moving Nicholas does not bode well for Louisiana, which is still recovering from devastating storms in 2020 and 2021.
The heaviest rain is forecast for southeast Louisiana, which was the area most devastated by Hurricane Ida a few weeks ago, Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said.
As of Tuesday, about 87,000 customers in Louisiana were still without power from Hurricane Ida, and the power restoration effort could be set back by Nicholas, he said.
Over 1,000 Louisiana residents remain at shelters in the wake of Ida, he said.
The governor requested an emergency federal declaration, which was granted by President Joe Biden.
In a tweet Tuesday, the governor thanked Biden and the Federal Emergency Management Agency “for their help as we respond to this storm while also recovering from Hurricanes #Laura, #Delta & #Ida.”
Before heading to Louisiana, Nicholas first struck the Houston area, shuttering schools.
In the Houston area, 460,000 customers were without power at the height of the storm early Tuesday, according to CenterPoint Energy. About 300,000 customers saw their power return by Tuesday evening.
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