Nicholas, now tropical storm, dumps rain along Gulf Coast - Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — Tropical Storm Nicholas hit the Texas coast early Tuesday as a hurricane and dumped more than a foot (30.5 centimeters) of rain along the the same area swamped by Hurricane Harvey in 2017, drenching storm-battered Louisiana and bringing the potential for life-threatening flash floods across the Deep South.

The storm was moving north-northeast at 9 mph (15 kph) and the center of Nicholas was expected to move slowly over southeastern Texas on Tuesday and over southwestern Louisiana on Wednesday.

Galveston has received nearly 14 inches (35 centimeters) of rain with the storm while the flood-prone Houston area saw more than 6 inches (15 centimeters) of rain, according to preliminary reports from the National Weather Service.

Nicholas could dump up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) of rain in parts of central and southern Louisiana.

Greg Abbott said authorities placed rescue teams and resources in the Houston area and along the coast.

Six to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters) of rain were expected along the middle and upper Texas coast, with isolated maximum amounts of 18 inches (46 centimeters) possible.

Other parts of southeast Texas and south-central Louisiana and southern Mississippi could see 4 to 8 inches (10 to 20 centimeters) over the coming days.

Nicholas brought rain to the same area of Texas that was hit hard by Harvey.

That storm made landfall in the middle Texas coast then stalled for four days, dropping more than 60 inches (152 cm) of rain in parts of southeast Texas.