 Hurricane Nicholas at peak intensity just before landfall in Texas early on September 14 | |
| Meteorological history | |
|---|---|
| Formed | September 12, 2021 |
| Post-tropical | September 15, 2021 |
| Dissipated | September 20, 2021 |
| Category 1 hurricane | |
| 1-minute sustained (SSHWS/NWS) | |
| Highest winds | 75 mph (120 km/h) |
| Lowest pressure | 988 mbar (hPa); 29.18 inHg |
| Overall effects | |
| Fatalities | 2 direct, 2 indirect |
| Damage | $1.1 billion (2021 USD) |
| Areas affected | Yucatán Peninsula, Tamaulipas, Gulf Coast of the United States |
| IBTrACS | |
Part of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season | |
Hurricane Nicholas was a slow-moving and erratic tropical cyclone that made landfall in the U.S. state of Texas in mid-September 2021. The fourteenth named storm and sixth hurricane of the 2021 Atlantic hurricane season, Nicholas originated from a tropical wave that emerged off the west coast of Africa on August 28. The system developed into a tropical storm on September 12, with the National Hurricane Center (NHC) naming the cyclone Nicholas. Nicholas gradually intensified initially, due to adverse effects of strong wind shear. However, late on September 13, Nicholas began intensifying at a faster rate, and at 03:00 UTC on September 14, Nicholas intensified into a Category 1 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (121 km/h) and a minimum central pressure of 988 mbar (29.2 inHg). At 5:30 UTC on the same day, Nicholas made landfall in Texas at peak intensity. Afterward, the system gradually weakened, weakening into a tropical storm several hours later, and weakening further into a tropical depression on the next day. The system proceeded to drift slowly over Louisiana. On September 15, Nicholas degenerated into a remnant low, before being absorbed into another extratropical system on September 20.
The storm brought heavy rainfall and storm surge to parts of Texas and Louisiana. Some of the affected areas were still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Ida, which impacted the Gulf Coast of the United States a few weeks prior. Hurricane Nicholas caused four deaths and $1.1 billion in damage.[1]
- ^ Latto, Andy S. (March 1, 2022). Tropical Cyclone Report: Hurricane Nicholas (PDF) (Report). Miami, Florida: National Hurricane Center. Retrieved March 1, 2022.