HOUSTON — Tropical Storm Nicholas gathered strength Sept. 13 and threatened to blow ashore in Texas as a hurricane that could bring up to 20 inches of rain to parts of the Gulf Coast, including the same area hit by Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and storm-battered Louisiana.

The ports of New Orleans, Baton Rouge and South Louisiana, vital in terms of shipping grain commodities worldwide, have been shut down, and there is no timetable for when they will reopen.

Louisiana communities battered by Ida faced a new danger as they began the massive task of clearing debris and repairing damage from the storm: the possibility of weeks without power in the stifling, late-summer heat.

Hours-of-service flexibility for truckers involved in critical relief efforts is one element of the federal government’s response to Tropical Depression Ida.

Hurricane Ida forced Kansas City Southern to shut its main line in Louisiana and has halted exchanges between railroads in New Orleans, which may worsen delays in a U.S. shipping industry that already is stretched thin.

WASHINGTON — Hurricane Ida is sure to take a toll on the energy, chemical and shipping industries that have major hubs along the Gulf Coast. But the impact on the overall U.S. economy likely will be modest so long as damage estimates don’t rise sharply and refinery shutdowns are not prolonged, economists say.

The port of New Orleans has halted container terminal and break-bulk operations as Hurricane Ida lashes the Louisiana coast with torrential rain and heavy winds.

Some U.S. motorists who had been expecting an end-of-summer relief for gasoline prices should start bracing for higher costs at the pump in the coming days due to Hurricane Ida.

Hurricane Ida is taking aim on New Orleans on the 16th anniversary of Katrina, one of the most devastating natural disasters in U.S. history.

The slow and sprawling storm system named Henri drenched much of the inland Northeast with rain Aug. 23, hampering cleanup efforts and threatening further flooding in areas with ground already saturated from a wet summer.