More than 405,700 people in the Houston area were without power early Tuesday morning after Tropical Storm Nicholas made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane, CenterPoint Energy reported.
At landfall, Nicholas maintained wind speeds of up to 75 miles per hour before it gradually weakened after hitting the Texas Gulf Coast.
Authorities in Houston recommended staying indoors as the heavy winds reportedly knocked down tree limbs and power lines throughout the area, according to the Houston Office of Emergency Management.
Residents near the coast in Surfside experienced storm surges and powerful currents that flooded the land around homes and structures. Galveston received almost 14 inches of rain just before 5 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.
Harris County Flood Control District Meteorologist Jeff Lindner tweeted that storm surges appeared to peak near the mouth of Clear Lake at 6.1 feet.
At approximately 5:10 a.m., the Category 1 hurricane was downgraded to a tropical storm. “Weakening is expected during the next couple of days as Nicholas moves over land,” the NWS advisory said.
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