First and most accurate
As Hurricane Nicholas set its sights on the Gulf Coast earlier this month, AccuWeather clients safely weathered the storm by utilizing our critical early warnings to enable their emergency action plans. Six days before the storm formed, our meteorologists warned about a potential tropical system in the western Gulf of Mexico, 3 days earlier than the National Weather Service. This crucial advance warning gave businesses more time to prepare for the storm and protect their assets and employees.
As the storm drew closer, AccuWeather correctly predicted landfall along the Texas coast between Corpus Christi and Houston. Our experts also accurately predicted flooding rainfall would be the most significant impact from Nicholas, with up to 12 inches in southeast Texas and southwestern Louisiana. In Houston, AccuWeather's impact-driven forecast had a more accurate wind forecast, while other weather services failed to mention the threat of strong winds altogether. Wind gusts around 50 mph were reported across the city which led to damage and power outages.
Weeks later, Texans are still trying to clean up the mess left by Nicholas. AccuWeather meteorologist Bill Wadel went to one of the hardest-hit areas along the coast and spoke to some of the locals.