Nicholas weakened to a tropical depression on Wednesday morning. However, The National Weather Service reports that southern portions of Alabama and Mississippi as well as panhandle Florida should brace for a future filled with heavy rainfall.
This comes after Hurricane Ida unleashed seven tornadoes on the state in late August. Thick air from the Gulf will allow for showers and possible storms to flare up for the remainder of the week.
Nicholas is expected to send the most severe weather to Southwest Alabama and Orange Beach. The National Weather Service of Mobile is among multiple weather services predicting severe flash flooding on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. A flash flood watch in Mobile and Baldwin counties began on Wednesday morning and is expected to end Thursday evening. The weather service also indicates possible six to eight inches of rain near Mobile and eight to 10 in Gulf Shores over the weekend. The city of Orange Beach notified its residents of possible high hazards for surfing and strong winds by issuing red flags across its beaches.
Not every model indicates bad news. WVTM 13 reports that weather models have predicted less rain for counties north of interstate I-20, with cities like Tuscaloosa and Aliceville only experiencing an inch of rain over the next five days. However, cities below I-20 including Clanton, Alexander City, and Greensboro should receive between one to two inches of rainfall in the next five days. Alabama is expected to be spared from possible tornado watches and warnings.
Nicholas is expected to continue moving northeast where it will likely stall in Central Louisiana on Wednesday night and Thursday. The former Category 1 hurricane arrived on the eastern shore of Texas on Tuesday morning.
