US: Nicholas strengthens into hurricane, pounds coastal Texas, Louisiana with rain

Heavy rains fell across the Gulf Coast of Texas and Louisiana on Tuesday as tropical storm Nicholas strengthened into a hurricane and spun toward land, bringing the threat of widespread flooding, power outages and storm surges. Nicholas was some 30 km southeast of Matagorda, Texas as of 10 p.m. central time, heading northeast with maximum sustained winds of 120 kph, the National Hurricane Center said in a bulletin on Monday night. US President Joe Biden declared an emergency for Louisiana and ordered federal assistance to supplement local response efforts due to conditions resulting from Nicholas, the White House said. Hundreds of flights were canceled or delayed at airports in Corpus Christi and Houston.<br/>