In the United States, Hurricane Nicholas made landfall along the Texas coast early this morning.
Heavy rains accompanied by winds blowing from 120 to over 150 kilometers per hour hit Freeport and Brazoria, southwest of Houston: streets and cars flooded, trees torn down.
50,000 homes are also without electricity. But so far, the hurricane has not claimed any lives in Texas.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called on residents to heed warnings from local authorities and “stay vigilant,” in a statement.
Houston, still scarred by the devastating Hurricane Harvey in 2017, is on high alert, its mayor, Sylvester Turner tweeted Monday. “We expect heavy rains this evening and tomorrow. I urge you not to take the road.”
The authorities erected barricades, mobilized the emergency services and asked residents to take all precautions.
President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency on Monday evening in Louisiana, already hit by Hurricane Ida which killed dozens of people in the United States in late August / early September.
Prior to the arrival of Storm Nicholas, many flights were canceled at airports around Houston and the Houston Canal which is part of the port was closed.
Schools also closed Monday afternoon and will remain so on Tuesday, officials said.
Residents rushed to gas stations and supermarkets in the area to fill their tanks, store water bottles and toilet paper, and refuel, including milk and eggs.
The “Lone Star State” is used to the passage of storms and hurricanes. But with the warming of the surface of the oceans, these phenomena are becoming more powerful, according to scientists.
From storm Nicholas had become hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. As he moved inland, Nicholas faltered and was reclassified as a tropical storm.
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