Three things for September 13
1. Tropical Storm Nicholas nears Texas gulf
The National Hurricane Center expects tropical storm Nicholas to make landfall along the middle Texas coast as soon as Monday night. Nicholas will bring strong wind gusts and storm surges, with 2 to 5 feet forecast through parts of Texas and Louisiana, according to The Weather Channel. Nicholas is centered about 100 miles south of Port O'Connor, Texas.
Tropical storm warnings have been issued along the coast of Texas from the mouth of the Rio Grande River to Sabine Pass, as well as some inland counties near the Texas coast, including the Houston metro area.
A hurricane watch has gone into effect in the middle Texas coastline, as it's possible Nicholas will become a Category 1 hurricane just prior to moving inland.
There is "an extremely moist tropical airmass is in place" across these regions, resulting in predictions of high rainfall totals, the Weather Prediction Center said. More than 9 million people are under flash flood watches in Texas and Louisiana.
2. California fires 65% contained
In California, the Dixie and Caldor fires are now 65% contained, but could be reignited due to dwindling moisture and high winds.
Firefighters maintained control of hotspots and control lines overnight, but high winds coming in from the southwest could make it difficult for firefighters to maintain the current control lines. The high winds could act as bellows and intensify hotspots, causing fire to jump the control lines.
During the weekend, the fires on the eastern edge were mild, with winds shifting in a favorable direction to keep the fire contained. The weather conditions remained favorable near Lake Almanor, allowing firefighters to keep the fires away from the Grizzly Peak area.
On Saturday, firefighters reinforced containment lines to prevent the fire from spreading as conditions destabilize.
To view the impacted area, click here.
3. Cleveland Meredith Jr. pleads guilty to one count of interstate communication of threats
On Friday, Cleveland Meredith Jr. pleaded guilty to threatening to shoot Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in the head.
Meredith drove from Colorado to D.C. with two guns and over 2,500 rounds of ammunition on Jan. 6, 2021.
Car trouble delayed Meredith from arriving in D.C. until after the Capitol riots had ended. On Jan. 7 he texted a relative stating that he was thinking about shooting Pelosi in the head live on TV.
Meredith pleaded guilty to one count of interstate communication of threats, and prosecutors dropped three D.C. weapon registration charges. He remains in custody, awaiting sentencing.
According to the Washington Post, Meredith faces a potential advisory federal sentencing range of either six to 12 months or 18 to 24 months in prison.
Out of nearly 600 defendants charged with connections to the Jan. 6 Capitol riots, 65 have pleaded guilty.
For more information concerning the case with Cleveland Meredith Jr., click here.
