Hurricane Nicholas, now a remnant low-pressure system, will continue to drench portions of the Gulf Coast.
Nicholas made landfall early Tuesday morning along the Texas coast as a Category 1 hurricane, knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of people and flooding portions of the state. Winds have weakened since landfall, but the flood threat continues across the Deep South.
Related: Roundup: Ida’s impact on the supply chain; drivers needed
The system was centered in south-central Louisiana early Thursday morning and won’t budge very much over the next few days. Most of the rain remains east of the center.
Daily rainfall records for Sept. 14 were set at the following locations:
Port Arthur, Texas: 5.2 inches.
Lafayette, Louisiana: 4.03 inches.
Lake Charles, Louisiana: 2.48 inches.
New Orleans: 1.88 inches.
Daily rainfall records for Sept. 15 were set in Hattiesburg, Mississippi (3.02 inches), and Baton Rouge, Louisiana (2.07 inches).
Several more inches of rain, possibly 6 inches or more, could accumulate in southeastern Louisiana, southern parts of Mississippi and Alabama, as well as western Florida. This includes New Orleans and Baton Rouge; Biloxi, Gulfport and Pascagoula, Mississippi; Mobile, Alabama; as well as Pensacola, Panama City and Apalachicola, Florida. Flash flood watches from the National Weather Service remain posted for these areas.
These impacts could lead to freight flow disruptions that may last a week in the hardest-hit areas. While long-term widespread flooding is unlikely, periods of flash flooding may result in temporary ramp and road closures. Additionally, onshore and offshore energy operations in the region could be disrupted.
The rain will also delay cleanup efforts in some areas hit by Hurricane Ida just two weeks ago. As of 8 a.m. ET Wednesday, nearly 53,000 customers still had no electricity in Louisiana, most of them in the southeastern part of the state where Ida made landfall. This is based on reports from PowerOutage.US. Also, more than 57,000 customers are waiting for their power to be restored in eastern Texas where Nicholas hit.
Besides possible flooding, the Gulf system could produce thunderstorms, but the risk for tornadoes, severe winds and large hail is low.
Rain from the remnants of Nicholas could spread to the Florida Peninsula, the rest of the Southeast and back to eastern Texas this weekend.
Related: Ida’s impact: Supply chain updates, Tuesday, Aug. 31
Major lanes of concern
• Interstate 10 from Baton Rouge to Marianna, Florida.
• Interstate 12 from Baton Rouge to Slidell, Louisiana.
• Interstate 55 from McComb, Mississippi, to New Orleans.
• Interstate 59 from Poplarville, Mississippi, to New Orleans.
• U.S. Highway 90 from east of Morgan City, Louisiana, to Chattahoochee, Florida.
• U.S. Highway 98 from west of Apalachicola to south of Hattiesburg.
Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.
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