The Flagler County Sheriff's Office shared a tweet Thursday morning showing the strong waves and winds at Flagler Beach Pier. “We strongly recommend that no one go sight-seeing right now on the barrier island,” the tweet said.
Hurricane Nicole eroded a large chunk of Flagler Beach in Flagler County, Florida, on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022. (Flagler County Sheriff's Office)
Less than an hour after, the account posted images of collapsed roads that have been closed, including a portion of the scenic A1A Highway, due to the waves brought to shore from Nicole’s passing. “This is just one of the reasons why we’re advising you to stay off the barrier island until the storm is gone,” they reminded residents.
Hurricane Nicole took out large chunks of a shoreline roadway at Flagler Beach in Flagler County, Florida, on Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022. (Flagler County Sheriff's Office)
Authorities said at least two people have died after being electrocuted from downed power lines due to Hurricane Nicole’s powerful winds. A man who was found unresponsive was pronounced dead Thursday morning after being shocked by a downed power line in Conway, Florida, which is just outside of Orlando, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. A woman traveling with the man was also electrocuted and later died at a hospital. “We are urging all of our residents and visitors to use extreme caution if they are outside in the wake of the storm today,” the office wrote in a social media post. “Never touch a downed power line. If you are driving and see a downed power line, change directions immediately.”
In this aerial view, flood water surround a building after Hurricane Nicole came ashore on Nov. 10, 2022 in Daytona Beach, Florida. Nicole came ashore as a Category 1 hurricane before striking Florida’s east coast. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
St. Augustine’s boardwalks and main tourist areas were quickly flooded after Tropical Storm Nicole neared the area early Thursday morning. The St. Augustine Police Department shared a tweet on Thursday saying “The city is flooding at a rapid pace and the ‘Bridge of Lions’ is closed.” The authorities also asked residents to avoid driving as there have been road closures.
A portion of the Coastal Highway in St. Augustine, Florida, is seen collapsed and crumbled by the force of the storm from Hurricane Nicole and high tide, on Nov. 10, 2022. (St. Johns County Emergency Operations Center)
The National Weather Service office in Jacksonville also said on Twitter there were reports of flooded roads Thursday. “Do NOT attempt to drive or walk through flooding areas, you never know how deep the water is or what is hidden in the waters,” the NWS said. The city opened two shelters for those who have decided to evacuate their homes while the Duval County Emergency Management team issued a tornado watch for the Duval area until 1 p.m. EST Thursday. The Jacksonville airport is set to remain open Thursday yet “many arrivals and departures have been cancelled.”
Images emerged of Nicole’s damage and destruction along the Florida shoreline Thursday morning, and one of the most extensive damage reports came in from South Florida in the town of Lauderdale-by-the-Sea. A portion of the Anglins Fishing Pier partially collapsed into the sea and onlookers came to the beach area Thursday morning to get a glimpse. The pier suffered damage from Hurricane Irma in 2017 and was already closed from its middle section to the T shape at the ocean end of the pier, according to Visit Lauderdale, a government agency that promotes tourism efforts in the region. The pier is said to be the longest in South Florida, NBC Miami reported.
“Anglins Fishing Pier is such an iconic landmark in our town, and seeing it damaged is heartbreaking. While the pier is privately owned, I know our town will do what we can to support the property owner in the coming days and months,” Lauderdale-by-the-Sea Mayor Chris Vincent said in a statement to NBC Miami. Lauderdale-by-the-Sea is about a two-hour drive south of where Nicole made landfall.
Curious beach goers stand in the surf in front of part of Anglin's Fishing Pier that collapsed into the ocean after Hurricane Nicole arrived, Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Fla. Tropical Storm Nicole made landfall as a hurricane early Thursday near Vero Beach, Fla. It's such a sprawling storm that it has covered nearly the entire peninsula while reaching into Georgia and South Carolina. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Hurricane Nicole was a damaging storm for Florida's east coast, but the winds were much less than what Category 4 Hurricane Ian unleashed across Florida's west coast. With Ian, winds gusted between 124 and 128 mph at multiple ground weather stations near landfall. Hurricane Nicole's winds gusted as high as 100 mph on a NASA tower at Kennedy Space Center, but ground stations recorded wind gusts between 65 and 75 mph, with one station reporting an 84 mph gust.
If the news of two hurricanes hitting Florida in a month and a half sounds familiar, that’s because it happened back in 2004. Incredibly, Hurricane Charley and Hurricane Jeanne hit Florida’s west and east coast at almost the same places as Ian and Nicole, and both sets of storms were about 44 days apart.
Tropical Storm Nicole remains centered over central Florida, and the radar imagery showed the large storm covering much of the peninsula and even reaching coastal areas of Georgia and South Carolina.
Nicole is forecast to bring a severe weather risk to areas from south of Orlando to locations north of Charleston, South Carolina. AccuWeather meteorologists say isolated tornadoes and damaging wind gusts of 50-60 mph will be possible. In some places, an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ wind gust of 75 mph could occur. Already, there have been multiple tornado watches issued in northeastern Florida this morning and a tornado warning for St. Augustine.
After Hurricane Ian left behind severe beach erosion in late September along the Atlantic coast of Florida, Nicole made matters worse this week. Several beachside homes in the coastal community of Wilbur-By-The-Sea in Volusia County are now on the verge of collapsing into the ocean. AccuWeather’s Jillian Angeline captured footage of the endangered homes early Thursday after the sun rose and Nicole had moved into central Florida. Homes are also being threatened by beach erosion in nearby Daytona Beach.
The highest wind gusts from Nicole came from weather stations on NASA towers at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. One weather station located about 120 feet in elevation gusted to 100 mph. This location is where the Artemis I moon rocket, designed to withstand 74.4-knot gusts (86 mph), was stationed. Winds gusted between 70 and 100 mph at other NASA towers in the region. Outside of Cape Canaveral, an amateur weather station at Daytona Beach recorded a wind gust of 84 mph. The wind gusted to 73 mph at the Melbourne Airport, 67 mph at Patrick Air Force Base, and 66 at the Orlando Executive Airport.
More than 242,000 were without power in Florida shortly after 8 a.m. EST Thursday, according to Poweroutage.us. That number is nearly three times higher than what was reported around 5 a.m. EST Thursday. Some of the most extensive outages were in Brevard County, which is just north of where Nicole made landfall and home to cities such as Melbourne and the Kennedy Space Center. More than 87,000 customers in that county alone were without electricity.
Between the northern Plains and the Southeast, two very different weather events are occurring. As Tropical Storm Nicole continues to impact the Southeast, tropical storm warnings are in place across parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Temperatures are in the low to mid-70s across the Southeast while Nicole is dumping heavy rain and bringing gusty winds to the region.
Nearly 1,130 miles to the northwest, a different storm is underway. Blizzard, ice storm, and winter storm warnings are in effect across parts of South Dakota, North Dakota and Minnesota. Over the past 24 hours, more than 2 feet of snow has fallen in some areas of the Rockies. As snow continues to fall over both North and South Dakota, temperatures will remain well below freezing.
When Nicole made landfall on North Hutchinson Island Thursday morning, it became just the third hurricane on record to make landfall in Florida in the month of November, joining Hurricane Kate in 1985 and the 1935 “Yankee Hurricane,” which made landfall on Nov. 4, 1935, near Miami.
In fact, according to Colorado State University Meteorologist Philip Klotzbach, Nicole is now the only storm in recorded history to make landfall on the state’s east coast after Nov. 4. Kate made landfall on Nov. 21, but along the Florida Panhandle near the town of Mexico Beach, Klotzbach noted. Kate is also the only hurricane on record to make landfall in the continental U.S. that late in an Atlantic hurricane season.
As Nicole continues to churn, a tornado watch has been issued from northeastern Florida to southeastern Georgia, according to the National Weather Service (NWS). The watch is in effect from Flagler Beach, Florida, to Brunswick, Georgia, from 6 a.m. EST to 1 p.m. EST. A tornado watch means conditions are favorable for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch areas. Residents who live within the highlighted region should be on the lookout for threatening weather conditions and possible warnings.
Strong wind gusts accompanied Nicole as it made landfall and moved inland early Thursday morning. Playalinda Beach, Florida, and the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station are only a few miles apart from each other and both areas recorded wind gusts over 70 mph. Just a bit farther south, in Indialantic and Melbourne, wind gusts of 70 mph were recorded. At the Patrick Space Force Base, which is between Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Melbourne, a wind gust of 67 mph was reported before daybreak on Thursday.
Exasperated, hurricane-weary Floridians, still recovering in more ways than one from the damage wrought by Hurricane Ian just six weeks ago, expressed hopelessness at the prospect of yet another storm bearing down on their state. “It just never seems to end,” was how one Floridian aptly put it.
Al Roark, of Fort Pierce, said for some people Ian destroyed their homes with all of their possessions and had them starting from scratch. Nicole is just another swift blow for them. “I just talked to a buddy of mine, he just got back on the 20th of October back home (after Ian), took a couple days off, and here we go again, you know.” Geoffrey Bowling, of Fort Pierce, can’t get over the timing: “This is crazy to me. I never really thought I’d have to deal with a hurricane in November,” Bowling told AccuWeather’s Bill Wadell.
George Karamitos said his surf shop in Daytona Beach took a bit of a hit from Hurricane Ian, sustaining “several hundred dollars’ worth” of damage. “So many of us didn’t take Ian as seriously as we should have,” he told AccuWeather’s Jillian Angeline. Now, “we haven’t even gotten a chance to make the repairs yet” and Nicole is ready to strike with force.
John Zahradnik, of Seminole County, seemed to give in to Mother Nature’s unpredictability: “Where we stand now was rapids about four to five days after Ian, and now we’re, you know, faced with another storm, so…” he said disheartened.
Nicole is nearing the coast of Florida as people prepare themselves for the storm's impact.
Gusty winds and heavy rain contributed to numerous power outages and damage across Melbourne Beach, Florida, late Wednesday into early Thursday. Video from storm chaser Brandon Clement showed traffic lights being tossed around in the gusty winds. The wind picked up one traffic light, which was connected to the rest with just a wire, before it slammed back onto the pavement.
Street lights across the city could be seen flickering as the wind continued to impact the region. Brevard County, Florida, which is home to Melbourne Beach and the Space Coast, accounted for the majority of power outages for the state as of 4:30 a.m, according to PowerOutages.US. Out of the more than 82,400 customers without power across the Sunshine State, nearly half of them reside in Brevard County.
(Brandon Clement)
About one hour after making landfall, Nicole lost wind intensity as it moved over east-central Florida and forecasters said the system had become a tropical storm as of 4 a.m. EST. Nicole was located about 24 miles northwest of Vero Beach, Florida, and 60 miles southeast of Orlando. It remained a strong tropical system, as its maximum sustained winds were 70 mph. Nicole is moving quickly inland, as it is headed to the west-northwest at a speed of 14 mph. A number of dangerous impacts remain possible from Nicole even though it is not a hurricane any longer, AccuWeather forecasters warn.
NASA is closely monitoring the weather conditions at the Kennedy Space Center as the wind gusts from Nicole could reach the safety limit for the 322-foot tall Space Launch System (SLS) rocket. The rocket is staying on the launch pad throughout Nicole with a tentative launch date of Wednesday, Nov. 16, as long as the storm does not damage the rocket. The SLS was designed to withstand wind gusts up to 85 mph, and as of 3 a.m. EST, the highest wind gust at the launch pad was clocked at 81 mph, according to a weather station on the launch pad operated by NOAA.
Hurricane Nicole crashed ashore at North Hutchinson Island, Florida, just south of Vero Beach, as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph around 3 a.m. Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). The storm continued moving west-northwestward at a pace of 14 mph.
"Radar imagery from Miami and Melbourne shows the center of Nicole has made landfall on the east coast of the Florida peninsula on North Hutchinson Island just south of Vero Beach," the NHC said in a 3 a.m. update on Thursday.
With the landfall of Hurricane Nicole at hand, the Category 1 storm’s impacts are already being felt along the Florida coastline. In Melbourne Beach, high tide has already washed away part of a pier, where Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer and storm chasing partner Vince Waelti had set up a storm surge probe. The high tide problems continue for Florida beaches, with strong onshore flow going strong into the early Thursday hours. Melbourne Beach was dealing with the northern eye wall of the storm heading into overnight, with intense winds viciously whipping up rainfall in the city.
Hurricane Nicole severely hindered travel not just in Florida, but throughout the entire United States Wednesday. According to FlightAware, which tracks flight cancellations and delays, there have been 1,199 canceled flights within, into or out of the U.S. Wednesday. Orlando International Airport has the most cancellations as both an origin airport (442 flights canceled) and a destination airport (408 flights canceled). Tampa and Jacksonville International Airports also have had to cancel 38 and 35 origin flights, respectively.
Power outages began to mount during the early hours of Thursday morning, the number of customers without electricity eclipsing 38,000 just before 2 a.m., local time, according to PowerOutage.US. The outages were concentrated along the Florida south-central coast from Brevard to Palm Beach County. The latter had the greatest count of outages at around 8,000 customers without power.
While Nicole is still miles offshore, its wind field has already reached parts of the Florida coast. A wind gust of 62 mph was recorded at a WeatherSTEM station near Stuart Beach, Florida, with a sustained wind of 47 mph, according to a midnight update from the National Hurricane Center. At Sebastian Inlet, Florida, a weather station reported a sustained wind of 48 mph with a wind gust of 66 mph. Hurricane-force winds are expected to arrive later tonight.
Nicole began to make landfall along the Florida coast near Port St. Lucie around 1 a.m., local time, as a Category 1 hurricane. However, the storm will continue to track to the northwest as the eyewall continues to trudge ashore. The storm’s official landfall is likely to be between Fort Pierce and Vero Beach.
“When the outer edge of the eyewall starts to make its way inland, we consider the storm has begun the process of making landfall,” AccuWeather Meteorologist Mary Gilbert said. “In the case of Nicole, since its eyewall is so large, it’s going to take a significant amount of time for it to actually make landfall.” The storm’s official landfall will occur when the center of the eyewall is over land.
“Nicole’s eyewall is estimated to be about 60-80 miles in diameter, which is quite large, especially for a hurricane,” Gilbert added. “Typically, the eyewall of a hurricane is about 20-40 miles in diameter.”
If you and your family were unable to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Nicole, here’s what you need to know to stay safe during the nighttime hours. Hurricane shelters have opened across southeast Florida for those uneasy about weathering the storm in their home, though anyone planning on hunkering down in one of these shelters should arrive before storm surge starts to inundate streets. Driving through floodwaters can be deadly, especially in fast-moving water.
The hurricane will also present a tornado threat tonight into Thursday morning. “I do expect that slug of convection on the north side of this system to gradually come ashore, bringing with it that tornado threat, and the tornado threat is going to continue tomorrow as well across eastern Georgia, eastern South Carolina,” Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer warned, adding the worst of the conditions would be north of the center of the storm. One of the simplest ways to prepare for nighttime tornadoes is to install the free AccuWeather app on a smartphone and ensure that push notifications are turned on and the volume is turned up. It’s also advised to make sure all cellphones and other weather notification devices, like a NOAA weather radio, are fully charged and your shelter is fully stocked with food and water.
The winds are picking up and continue to gradually intensify along Florida’s east coast as the outer bands of Hurricane Nicole strike closer by the hour. Reporting live Wednesday night from Jacksonville, AccuWeather's Tony Laubach said the winds have “slowly but steadily gotten stronger” as Nicole churned at 75 miles east-northeast of West Palm Beach at a speed of 75 mph. “It’s been the wind that’s been the constant force,” Laubach said as wind and rain pelted him. “If you stood with your feet together, it could probably blow you over.”
So far, wind gusts topped 68 mph in places like Stuart, Florida, and slightly lower at Cape Canaveral. Daytona Beach clocked wind gusts of 61 mph.
AccuWeather's Tony Laubach reported live on Wednesday evening, highlighting the sheer size of Hurricane Nicole as it brought tropical storm-force winds more than a hundred miles away.
The Atlantic hurricane season has been an enduring one for the AccuWeather staff, as the network’s crew of reporters has once again been called into action in Florida for Hurricane Nicole. AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell and Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer are stationed at Port St. Lucie, while farther up the coast, AccuWeather National Reporter Jillian Angeline has been working from Daytona Beach. AccuWeather also has reporters in two of the state’s largest hubs, with AccuWeather Correspondent Leslie Hudson stationed in Orlando and Meteorologist Tony Laubach working out of Jacksonville.
Hurricane Nicole’s landfall in Florida is still on path for the early hours of Thursday morning, forecast to hit the state’s east coast. As of 10 p.m. EST, the storm was about 75 miles east-northeast of West Palm Beach, sustaining maximum winds of 75 mph. AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski stated that Nicole continues to work in a west-northwest direction towards the Florida coast Wednesday evening, with the unsteady storm alternating between surging forward and slowing down.
“Overall, this wobbly motion will bring the center of Nicole to Florida’s east coast roughly between Port St. Lucie and Vero Beach between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. early Thursday morning,” Kottlowski said. “However, already tropical-storm-force winds and a rising storm surge are building along the Florida coast from the Palm Beaches northward along the coast.” The timing of when the center of the storm hits, Kottlowski noted, is not critical due to the size of the storm and the large wind field that leads to dangerous storm surge and damaging waves.
One of Florida’s largest cities is making preparations for Nicole’s landfall. In the city of Tampa, Mayor Jane Castor held a press conference Wednesday afternoon, stating that city offices will be closed on Thursday due to expected impacts of the storm. Castor stated that rain will begin in the city during the afternoon hours, and that the full force of Nicole will hit the city early Thursday afternoon.
“We want everyone to be aware that while we don’t expect widespread damage from the wind and the rain, we still have to be very cognizant of [downed] branches, downed power lines, the possibility of flooded streets,” Castor said. “We’re doing everything that we can … everything that we need to do on our checklist prior to having a storm of this magnitude come through our community.” City officials also stated that residents should prepare their properties by securing patio furniture, plants, and other items that could possibly become projectiles during Nicole.
Tina McGiley helps her neighbor Nina Lavigna salvage what she can from her home after it partially toppled onto the beach as Hurricane Nicole came ashore on Nov. 10, 2022, in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
With Hurricane Nicole barreling towards Florida Wednesday, beach erosion has made its impact felt in several locations throughout the state, including in Port Orange. A video by Krista Goodrich shows homes along the Port Orange shoreline hanging on the edge, as the backyards of the buildings disappear due to the erosion. The erosion has also claimed damage in nearby Daytona Beach, as chunks of asphalt from a local Holiday Inn Express fell onto the beach.
Homes along this shoreline in Port Orange, Florida, hang at the edge as the backyards of these buildings disappear from beach erosion on Nov. 9, with Nicole barreling towards the area.
Winds from Hurricane Nicole were beginning to ramp up across Satellite Beach, Florida, just to the south of Cape Canaveral Wednesday evening, Extreme Meteorologist Reed Timmer reported. By 9 p.m. EST, storm surge was already beginning to creep up the shore, especially with the onset of the high tide. The worst of the storm will be north of the center, Timmer warned, adding that that’s where the significant storm surge will happen along with the tornado threat with a majority of the convection moving from east to west off the ocean. “We do expect conditions to deteriorate rapidly over the next several hours,” Timmer said, shouting over the roaring wind, “though the hour is starting to get bad already out here on Satellite Beach.”
Colleges and universities across Florida are canceling classes for Thursday due to Hurricane Nicole. Florida State University, the University of Florida, University of North Florida and the University of Central Florida all announced that “out of an abundance of caution,” classes and events are being canceled and that only essential personnel would need to report to work.
The University of South Florida said it was transitioning to remote classes on Thursday. All of the schools are closed on Friday in observance of Veterans Day.
The rough waters and powerful winds haven’t stopped Floridians from taking last-minute walks on the beach and even testing Mother Nature on a jet ski before Nicole unleashes her full fury on the state’s eastern shoreline.
AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell was in St. Lucie County, where authorities said conditions were fast deteriorating and that people “really need to get home.” Yet despite the dire warnings, people were seen riding bikes and taking spins on a jet ski amid the drenching rain and surging waves just before nightfall. Some residents shook their heads at the sight: “Crazy, crazy, crazy,” remarked Al Roark of Fort Pierce after seeing two people on a jet ski. “I just hope they’re okay. I don’t want the Coast Guard to be looking for this guy tomorrow you know. … I just don’t understand it at all.” Just to the south in Stuart, some were seen fishing just as crashing waves were taking out piers and docks. Police were patrolling the shoreline, making sure beaches and piers were empty, even cordoning off areas.
AccuWeather's Bill Wadell was in St. Lucie, Florida, on Nov. 9, where he shows the safety concerns in line as Nicole is expected to make landfall as a category 1 hurricane.
Tropical-storm-force winds have continued to hit Florida Wednesday in advance of Nicole’s landfall on the state. As of the early evening hours, the highest recorded wind gust in the state was reported in Stuart Beach (68 mph), with other high gusts recorded in Cape Canaveral (66 mph) and Daytona Beach (61 mph). Strong winds could bring down trees and cause power outages in the state, particularly in areas that experience flooding since Hurricane Ian, as the waterlogged ground will make trees more susceptible to being blown over. According to PowerOutage.US, 11,731 power outages were reported in Florida as of 6:44 p.m. EST.
In the Bahamas, where Nicole passed through earlier Wednesday en route to the mainland United States, wind gusts of 64 mph and 63 mph were recorded in Elbow Cay and Bakers Bay, respectively.
Authorities have shut off access to several bridges that connect to Florida's barrier islands. The St. Lucie County Sheriff's Office said it was forbidding access “due to deteriorating conditions” and closed the bridges Wednesday afternoon. Earlier in the day, officials blocked off shoreline roads like Indian River Drive near Jensen Beach as high waves surged over the seawall.
Tina McGiley helps her neighbor Nina Lavigna salvage what she can from her home after it partially toppled onto the beach as Hurricane Nicole came ashore on Nov. 10, 2022, in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Storm surge is one of the key concerns during tropical storms, with Nicole already producing high surges in several Florida locations. At Fernandina Beach, the storm surge level as of Wednesday afternoon was 2.67 feet. Other top surges reported Wednesday included high water levels at Port Canaveral (2.45 feet), Mayport (2.39 feet) and Dames Point (2.27). A peak storm surge of 3-6 feet is expected during Nicole along most of the Florida coast, as well as the Georgia coast. Storm surge was a massive factor in the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian in the state, including a 10-15 feet peak high water level at Fort Myers Beach.
Nicole has been upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane after spending several days as a Tropical Storm on its path to the mainland United States. The storm was labeled a Category 1 hurricane at 6 p.m. EST and is forecasted to make landfall along Florida’s east coast early Thursday morning. AccuWeather forecasters have rated Nicole a 1 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes due to factors such as damaging storm surge, high winds and flooding rainfall.
A satellite image of Nicole at 6 p.m. EST Wednesday as it was upgraded to a Category 1 hurricane. (AccuWeather)
Power outages have begun to impact Floridians in advance of Nicole’s landfall. As of 5:14 p.m. EST, 9,992 customers were without service across the state according to PowerOutage.US, with the main concentrations being in the eastern coastline's Brevard County (2,830 outages) and the western coastline's Charlotte County (2,030 outages). There will be 16,000 workers available to restore power, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a Wednesday news conference in Tallahassee.
A red flag, signaling high surf and strong currents, flies in strong wind on the beach in Palm Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)
Nicole’s path to the mainland United States saw the storm pass over the Bahamas Wednesday, bringing storm surge inundation and heavy rainfall to the islands. According to the Bahamas Department of Meteorology, Nicole made landfall on Elbow Cay in the Abacos at 11:55 a.m. EST, spreading tropical storm conditions across northwest Bahamas. At 12:20 p.m. EST, strong tropical-storm-force winds of around 50 mph and flooding were reported at Leonard Thompson International Airport in Marsh Harbour.
Storm surges inundated the island, with many reported as high as 4 to 6 feet above normal tide. Large swells generated by Nicole will continue to affect the northwest Bahamas for the next several days, likely causing life-threatening surf and dangerous rip currents. Localized rainfall amounts of up to 8 inches are also forecast. Formation of waterspouts and tornadoes continue to be possible during the passage of Nicole, with boaters advised to remain in port during the storm’s passing.
On Wednesday morning, storm surge from Nicole had breached parts of Florida’s Atlantic coast. According to the Martin County Sheriff office, storm surge inundated roadways on Hutchinson Island, which is a barrier island just north of West Palm Beach.
High-water rescue vehicles were heading to the area, the department added. County officials have announced voluntary evacuations, especially for people living in low-lying areas.
Beach erosion caused by Nicole has forced evacuations in a major Florida beach community Wednesday afternoon. Daytona Beach Shores’ Department of Public Safety began evacuating several condo complexes deemed unsafe. The department had also evacuated several structures on Tuesday, including a local Holiday Inn Express hotel. At the Holiday Inn Express, the hotel parking lot was seen withered away, with chunks of asphalt falling onto the beach. Another structure, attached to an ocean rescue building, also fell into the ocean on Wednesday:
A public restroom building collapsed into the Atlantic Ocean in Daytona Beach Shores, Florida, as waves from Nicole hit the coast.
Four Florida airports are halting operations and about 2,000 flights were canceled as Tropical Storm Nicole advanced toward Florida. Miami International Airport (MIA) tweeted Wednesday that it was open but that cancellations and delays from the storm were possible.
Among the other airports: Orlando International Airport (MCO), which is a hub for more than 850 flights per day on 44 airlines, said on Twitter that it would stop commercial operations at 4 p.m. ET Wednesday. “We’re currently making preparations to ensure the safety of our staff, travelers & facilities,” the airport said. Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB) and Orlando Sanford International Airport (SFB) posted that they that were closing by 4 p.m. “Please do not come to the airport. The airport is not an authorized shelter,” Orlando Sanford airport officials said. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport said there would be some flight delays and cancellations but otherwise appeared to be open.
Carriers in the U.S. had canceled nearly 1,000 flights by 4 p.m. Wednesday and another 1,000 flights on Thursday within, into and out of the U.S, according to tracking site FlightAware. About 1,500 were delayed today. American, Delta, Southwest and United Airlines have all issued travel waivers allowing impacted passengers to rebook their flights for free.
Nicole’s impacts are already being felt across eastern Florida, particularly the strong wind gusts. The highest recorded wind gusts in the state thus far were reported in Juno Beach (55 mph), Crescent Beach (52 mph), Boca Raton (46 mph), Daytona Beach (43 mph) and Jacksonville (41 mph). These wind gusts were tropical-storm-force winds, which are defined as any winds at or above 39 mph. Crescent Beach and Daytona Beach are approximately 50 miles apart on the northeastern coastline, and are two places to watch for further impacts during Nicole’s scheduled Thursday morning landfall.
Officials are urging people in Florida to stay away from the rough surf and fierce waves slamming into the state’s Atlantic coast, but people near the ocean should keep a close eye out for sea turtles. AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell, who was in St. Lucie County early Wednesday, said that the coastal erosion was digging up sea turtle nests. Wadell saw several sea turtles scrambling across the sand as waves generated by Nicole cashed ashore. Anyone who sees a sea turtle or sea turtle eggs should give them space and contact the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at 888-404-FWCC.
Nicole’s impacts will be felt beyond Florida, AccuWeather forecasters say, as the storm is expected to bring a number of impacts to the Southeast. Some of them, such as heavy rain in drought-plagued areas, will be beneficial. Others, such as severe thunderstorms capable of producing tornadoes, will not.
“On Nicole’s eastern flank, in the zone of warm and humid air, enough energy will exist to allow severe thunderstorms to develop,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski stated. “These storms will be capable of triggering powerful wind gusts, a few tornadoes and waterspouts from northeastern Florida to southeastern Georgia, as well as the central and eastern portions of the Carolinas from Thursday night to Friday.”
Ahead of Nicole’s landfall, Walt Disney World Resort theme park will close at 5 p.m. EST Wednesday and remain closed through Thursday morning. Despite the delayed reopening of the park on Thursday, the park’s water parks and miniature golf locations will remain closed. The update came late Wednesday morning just before Nicole made landfall on the Great Abaco Island in the northern Bahamas.
Following in the footsteps of Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando Resort announced that the theme park will close early on Wednesday due to the arrival of Nicole. The park will remain closed until an assessment of conditions is completed on Thursday. Despite the closure of the theme park, all on-site hotels will remain open as they are housing on-site guests.
Nicole is forecast to make landfall between Melbourne and West Palm Beach, Florida, but tropical storm conditions are occurring hundreds of miles away from the storm’s predicted track. As of 1 p.m. EST, the center of Nicole was over Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas, but sustained winds were at or above tropical storm strength (39 mph) 400 miles away in Jacksonville. The large area of strong winds is one of the driving factors behind the widespread storm surge of 3 to 6 feet along the coasts of Florida and Georgia.
Even though Nicole is still more than 180 miles east of West Palm Beach, Florida, choppy waves are already crashing down along Florida’s Atlantic shoreline. In Flagler Beach, Florida, which is about 66 miles southeast of Jacksonville, dangerous surf and crashing waves could be seen on the Flagler Beach Pier camera.
Flagler Beach is still recovering after being hit hard by Hurricane Ian in late September. The pier, which was once 800-feet-long, sustained a major blow in 2016 when Hurricane Matthew took 400 feet off the end of the pier. Just recently, in September, Hurricane Ian took out an additional 150 feet. The pier has been roped off with caution tape and closed since. Officials say it will be demolished and rebuilt next year.
The beach below the pier disappeared completely as high tide rolled in Wednesday morning. By late Wednesday morning, only a small section of the beach could be seen on the Flagler Beach Pier camera.
High surf at Flagler Beach Pier on the morning of November 9, 2022.
At 11:55 a.m. EST, the center of Nicole made landfall on Great Abaco Island as a powerful tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph. The island, located in the northern Bahamas, is the same location where Hurricane Dorian made landfall as a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane with sustained winds of 185 mph on Sept. 1, 2019.
The center of Nicole is still 186 miles east of West Palm Beach, Florida, but tropical-storm-force winds have already arrived along the Florida Coast from Jacksonville to Miami. The massive storm is predicted to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds over 74 mph before making landfall on Wednesday night.
A satellite image of Tropical Storm Nicole as it made landfall on Great Abaco Island in the northern Bahamas on Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022. (NOAA/GOES-EAST)
Waves are eating away at Florida’s Atlantic coast, including at Satellite Beach, a barrier island about five miles north-northeast of Melbourne, Florida. Drone footage showed water causing coastal erosion and coming close to structures along the immediate coast, structures which will be at risk of flooding through Thursday due to Nicole. A storm surge of 2.4 feet was reported at Port Canaveral, located 16 miles north of Satellite Beach. The water level is forecast to rise through the evening, with high tide predicted to occur at 8:15 p.m. EST on Wednesday night.
The U.S. Coast Guard announced that the ports of Jacksonville and Miami, Florida, will be closed ahead of Nicole's landfall. This means that without direct permission of the captain of the port, all waterfront operations are suspended, all vessel movements are prohibited and no vessels may enter or transit within the ports. The Coast Guard also reminded people that the ports are not a safe haven and are the safest when the inventory of vessels is at a minimum.
In recent years, Florida has taken quite a few punishing strikes from major hurricanes such as Irma in 2017, Michael in 2018 and Ian this past September. But none of those storms made landfall directly along the state’s eastern coast. Hurricane Matthew in 2016 paralleled the state’s east coast and was only 30 miles offshore at one point. Hurricane Dorian in 2019 also moved near the eastern coast after it devastated parts of the Bahamas, but it didn’t make landfall in the U.S. until it moved over the North Carolina Outer Banks.
According to AccuWeather Senior Weather Editor Jesse Ferrell, Hurricane Katrina is the last hurricane to make landfall along the state’s Atlantic coast. After developing near the Bahamas, Katrina made landfall north of Miami on Aug. 25, 2005, as a Category 1 storm. The hurricane eventually moved over the Sunshine State and entered the Gulf of Mexico, where it would rapidly intensify into a Category 5 storm with maximum sustained winds of 175 mph. The storm eventually set its sights on the Gulf Coast and made one landfall as a Category 3 storm in southeastern Louisiana and another landfall along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast. To this day, Katrina remains one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history thanks to the enormous scale of damage left behind as well as the number of fatalities, which in total were more than 1,800.
AccuWeather meteorologists have narrowed down Nicole’s landfall time and location as Florida braces for its second hurricane landfall of the year. Landfall is expected to occur in an area between West Palm Beach and Melbourne, Florida, late Wednesday night into early Thursday morning. Nicole is forecast to strengthen into a hurricane by Wednesday evening before it reaches Florida. After landfall, Nicole will creep across the Sunshine State, gradually losing strength and becoming a tropical storm by daybreak on Thursday. After its slow trip across Florida, Nicole will become a tropical depression and head up the East Coast.
Ahead of Nicole’s landfall, the American Red Cross is preparing with local, state, federal and emergency management officials to ensure there are enough resources for the storm. “Pretty much all of Florida could possibly be impacted,” Josh Murray, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross told AccuWeather in an interview. “We’ve got [shelters and resources] all around the state and up the coast.”
Murray said the American Red Cross is coordinating with the people who are already in Florida helping with Hurricane Ian recovery efforts to make sure they have all their supplies and resources as Nicole adds another level to their response. For the people who are located within Nicole’s path, Murray strongly urges them to be informed, have an evacuation plan ready and have an emergency kit handy.
After weeks responding to Hurricane Ian, the Red Cross is now mobilizing to help Floridians through yet another hurricane.
As early as Wednesday afternoon, Nicole will unleash damaging winds across a massive area as it nears landfall in Florida. Tropical-storm-force wind gusts ranging between 40 and 60 mph will extend over an area encompassing about half a million square miles from west of Bermuda to the southeastern U.S. coast and the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Near and just north of Nicole’s eye, wind gusts between 60-80 mph will occur with AccuWeather Local StormMax™ gusts close to 100 mph possible.
According to AccuWeather Director of Forecasting Operations Dan DePodwin, the long duration of this event will make the storm's impacts worse. Tropical-storm-force wind gusts can occur for 36-48 hours straight from the Space Coast of Florida through the Carolinas. Damaging winds along the Space Coast could pose a problem for the Artemis I moon rocket that sits on the launch pad.
Tropical Storm Nicole’s journey will not be over after the storm crashes ashore in Florida early Thursday morning.
According to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Courtney Travis, Nicole will track inland up the Eastern Seaboard after its Florida landfall, drenching the Southeast, mid-Atlantic and New England through late this week. The storm’s rainfall will be so widespread that it will extend into Atlantic Canada over the weekend.
Ahead of Nicole’s Northeast arrival, mild conditions will be in place in major cities along the I-95 corridor, with 70-degree warmth forecast for places such as Washington D.C. and Boston.
Nicole’s wind speed continued to increase on Wednesday morning, with the maximum sustained winds at 70 mph, which is just 4 mph shy of hurricane status, according to the National Hurricane Center. Although the eye wall is still not defined, satellite imagery of the storm showed clouds wrapping around a center. Nicole is moving a bit faster Wednesday morning compared to Tuesday, going west-southwest at 13 mph. Hurricane warnings are in effect from Boca Raton to the Flagler-Volusia County line. Areas of the Bahamas including the Abaco, Berry Islands, Bimini and Grand Bahama Island are also under a hurricane warning. Storm surge warnings stretch from North Palm Beach, Florida, to Altamaha Sound in Georgia, and from the mouth of St. Johns River to Georgetown, Florida.
(NOAA Goes East)
Counties throughout Florida are making necessary preparations for Tropical Storm Nicole, including the state’s second most populated county. In Broward County, bridges will be locked down in advance of Nicole, in a process that began Tuesday morning. Bridges in Fort Lauderdale were locked by 3 p.m. EST, and were locked down with the help of the U.S. Coast Guard’s seventh district office. Schools in the county will also be closed on Wednesday, with all before and after-school activities also canceled.
One of Florida’s largest airports has made a decision to cease commercial operations during the lead-up to Tropical Storm Nicole.
Orlando International Airport, which is a hub for more than 850 flights per day on 44 airlines, will end commercial operations at 4 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, and will remain closed for commercial operations “until circumstances permit operations resume.” Airport officials held meetings Tuesday with airline partners, the National Weather Service and the Federal Aviation Administration, ultimately deciding on the shutdown. Airport officials also noted that passengers should contact their respective airlines in regards to travel plans.
Waves from Nicole could build up to 30 feet in some areas offshore north of the Bahamas and east of Florida, the National Hurricane Center’s Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch said Tuesday. Smaller, but still towering, 12-foot waves could extend over 500 nautical miles northeast of the storm. Along the shoreline of Florida, Georgia and parts of South Carolina, the storm surge is forecast to rise up to 3 to 6 feet, with locally higher levels.
On Tuesday, President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration ahead of Nicole. This declaration will order that federal resources help to assist state and local responses due to emergency conditions. Given the forecast wide range of impacts from Nicole, the Florida Emergency Declaration is in effect for all of the state's 67 counties. Nicole is expected to move through the Bahamas on Wednesday and then make landfall as a hurricane on the East Coast of Florida very early on Thursday morning, prior to sunrise.
Preparations are underway in Dayton Beach for Tropical Storm Nicole. Residents are grabbing shovels and filling sandbags to help protect their property from the surge and flooding forecast from this long-duration storm event. Dayton Beach Mayor Derrick Henry told AccuWeather National Reporter Jillian Angeline that 3,950 sandbags were distributed to residents on Monday and efforts continued today.
Henry said the worst storm damage he’s seen since becoming major in 2012 was from Ian this past September. He urges his residents not to take any chances with Nicole. “The season is not over yet. Obviously, the season tells us when it’s over, and it said “we’re still here,” Henry said. The Daytona Beach mayor is encouraging people to prepare today. He urges people to have enough food and water for all family members, including pets, remove loose items outside your house and be sure to have flashlights and other light options handy.
The Space Force unit Space Launch Delta 45 has entered HURCON III status upon the forecast approach of Tropical Storm Nicole. The third level out of the five-tier hurricane alert scale means destructive winds are possible within 48 hours at NASA's Kennedy Space Center and instructs staff to finish final preparations for the storm and prepare for potential evacuation. “Base personnel and residents should take action to prepare for the possible arrival of hurricane-force winds,” the base warned over Twitter, adding that facilities would begin closing after the normal hours of operation Tuesday.
On Monday, NASA announced that the new Space Launch System rocket -- which is designed to withstand wind gusts up to 85 mph (74.1 knots) -- will remain on Launch Pad 39B rather than returning to the Vehicle Assembly Building. AccuWeather forecasters say that the chance of winds approaching this threshold at the Kennedy Space Center is increasing. There is a 60% chance that wind gusts at the launch pad reach 85 mph as Nicole impacts Florida. NASA did not say what damage could occur to the rocket if wind gusts reach this threshold, but it would likely delay the maiden voyage of the rocket, which is currently scheduled for Nov. 14.
Nicole will unleash heavy rain as it makes landfall on Florida’s Atlantic coast and slowly pushes across the peninsula. A general 4-8 inches of rain is forecast to fall near and north of the storm center with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 15 inches. Rainfall of this intensity is likely to lead to flooding of low-lying areas and significant rises along some of the rivers in the region.
Nicole will take a path that roughly parallels the U.S. East Coast and coast of Atlantic Canada from the end of this week through this weekend. A swath of 2-4 inches of rain is likely along much of the Eastern Seaboard to the spine of the Appalachians with locally higher amounts.
As of Tuesday evening, Tropical Storm Nicole was still on the path towards the Florida coast while packing high wind speeds. At 7 p.m. EST, the storm was located about 360 miles to the east of West Palm Beach, and was moving toward the west-southwest at 10 mph. Nicole is expected to continue to strengthen into a hurricane by Thursday morning's landfall.
Several watches were added Tuesday by the National Hurricane Center in advance of Nicole. Storm surge watches have been issued from the Savannah River to the South Santee River in South Carolina, as well as from the Suwannee River to the Ochlockonee River in Florida. A tropical storm watch was also issued from north of Georgia's Altamaha Sound to South Carolina's South Santee River.
Nicole’s status as the 14th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season will further contribute to the season’s ACE index. The ACE index is short for the accumulated cyclone energy index, approximating the wind energy generated by all the named tropical systems. The index accounts for the strength and duration of systems while they are at tropical storm intensity or higher. Through Tuesday afternoon, Nicole’s ACE value is 1.0, already passing storms such as Bonnie and Colin from earlier this season. The storms with the highest ACE so far in 2022 are Hurricane Fiona (26.3 ACE) and Hurricane Ian (17.4 ACE). In total, 2022’s Atlantic ACE index value is currently at 92.1, with the normal Atlantic season value being pegged by AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski at around 106 units.
Florida’s most populated county is preparing for the eventual landfall of Tropical Storm Nicole, as Miami-Dade County is currently under a tropical storm watch. First Mayor Daniella Levine Cava held a press conference Tuesday afternoon to update residents on the storm’s potential effects, stating that the county is “taking all the necessary steps” to prepare for inclement weather.
The storm is expected to bring 1-2 feet of storm surge to the county later in the week, with a heightened risk of flooding due to the storm coinciding with an annual cycle of high tides in the area. “Our county teams are already getting prepared to respond to any additional surge or rainfall, and we urge all of our residents to be vigilant and exercise a high level of caution,” Cava said. She also noted that the U.S. Coast Guard, in partnership with state officials, locked down Miami draw bridges Tuesday morning, with no reopen date made available as of Tuesday afternoon.
Generators can be of huge advantage during a hurricane landfall, but they can cause serious harm if used improperly due to potential risks for fire, electrocution and carbon monoxide poisoning. The latter sends more than 20,000 people to the emergency room every year, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
Generators should only be used outside, positioned away from windows, doors, vents and other openings as well as to never plug a generator directly into a wall outlet. AccuWeather recommends keeping them at least 30 feet away from the home and any of its openings and for gasoline containers stored away from the generator and from any other object that emits heat or flames. Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas, so not being able to smell exhaust fumes will not be enough to prevent exposure, according to The American Red Cross. Carbon monoxide poisoning symptoms can include dizziness, unconsciousness, nausea and vomiting. “If you start to feel sick, dizzy, or weak while using a generator, get to fresh air RIGHT AWAY - DO NOT DELAY,” the Red Cross said on its website.
At least three Florida counties have issued some form of evacuation orders as of Tuesday afternoon. Palm Beach County was the latest of these with County Commissioner Robert S. Weinroth announcing the move in an update. The evacuation goes into effect Wednesday at 7 a.m. andincludes mobile homes, barrier islands and low-lying areas. A few counties farther to the north, St. Lucie County was placed under a voluntary evacuation order.
Brevard County recommended that residents who live on barrier islands, mobile or manufactured homes, those living in low-lying and flood-prone areas and those with medical needs that depend on access to electricity begin to evacuate.
Hurricane Ian hit Florida in late September as a Category 4 storm, causing flooding and damage across the state. Officials are concerned about how areas that were flooded by Ian will fare as Nicole approaches Florida’s east coast as a Category 1 hurricane.
“The water on the ground has saturated the root structures of many trees. The winds could bring down trees and those could bring down power lines,” Alan Harris, Seminole County’s emergency manager, said Tuesday at a press conference. However, power outages are unlikely to be as extensive as they were during Ian, when they soared past 3 million. The National Hurricane Center said Nicole’s wind speed intensity jumped by midday Tuesday, with maximum sustained winds bursting from 50 to 60 mph.
A worker repairs energy lines during a power outage after Hurricane Ian passed through the area on September 29, 2022 in Bartow, Florida. The hurricane brought high winds, storm surge and rain to the area causing severe damage to local trees, something that can happen again during Nicole's landfall in the state. (Photo by Gerardo Mora/Getty Images)
The area of Daytona Beach is still reeling from Hurricane Ian, and now faces potential impacts from Tropical Storm Nicole this week. AccuWeather National Reporter Jillian Angeline was live in Daytona Beach Tuesday afternoon, pointing out that while Ian left substantial damages elsewhere in Florida, the area was still hurting as well. Sandbags have been placed down near the shoreline, but not nearly enough to get “full protection” from Nicole’s impacts, Angeline said. Local structures such as a lifeguard tower and high-rises are also in Nicole’s path, something Daytona Beach resident Jeff Grady was concerned about.
“The hotels are so big, and I’ve seen [storm surge] all the way up to the pool decks where the pools just collapse,” Grady told Angeline. “With this storm coming, I fear that it’ll eat away at them and [a lot of the high-rises] will just collapse."
A local Daytona Beach pool, connected to a high-rise, was completely devastated from Hurricane Ian. High-rises are some of the structures that could be decimated if Tropical Storm Nicole lands a direct hit on the area.
As of Tuesday morning, Walt Disney World Resort was operating under normal conditions ahead of Tropical Storm Nicole. The update came Tuesday morning when Nicole was still a subtropical system. However, the company’s water parks and miniature golf locations will be temporarily closed on Thursday, Nov. 10. “Walt Disney World Resort is currently operating under normal conditions,” Disney’s website said. “We are continuing to closely monitor Subtropical Storm Nicole and are making necessary operational adjustments to maintain the safety of our Guests and Cast Members.”
Universal Studios Florida will also be operating under normal conditions as of late Tuesday morning."Please be assured that we are closely monitoring Tropical Storm Nicole. At this time, we are pleased to inform you that Universal Orlando Resort remains open for your enjoyment," the park said over Twitter while answering another user's question about park hours.
Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry had a briefing on Tropical Storm Nicole on Tuesday along with emergency management officials from the City of Jacksonville Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security, where they announced that “out of an abundance of caution,” the city decided to cancel the Veterans Day parade.
Curry also urged Jacksonville residents to ensure they had their supply kit ready, were aware of their flood zones and, in case of threat of tornadoes, they reviewed their family’s safety plans. Among other cancellations, the city announced the closure of the Jacksonville Fair on Thursday and the Mayor’s Breakfast on Friday morning.
After Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency for 34 counties Monday, at least five counties in South Florida have issued closures for their local schools. Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties will be closing schools on Wednesday and Thursday, while Friday was already scheduled to be closed in observance of Veterans Day.
Okeechobee County Schools announced school closures for Wednesday and Thursday, yet said it is too early to determine if they will need to extend it to Friday. The School District of Palm Beach County will have both schools and district offices closed Wednesday and Thursday as well.
Tropical Storm Nicole swirling off the coast of the southeastern United States on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. (NOAA/GOES-EAST)
Nicole’s wind speed intensity jumped by midday Tuesday with the maximum sustained winds bursting from 50 to 60 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Satellite imagery of the storm showed the clouds beginning to wrap around a center, though an eyewall was not yet defined as Nicole trudged westward at 9 mph. Hurricane warnings were in effect for parts of Florida from Boca Raton to the Flagler-Volusia County line as Nicole swirled some 400 miles east of West Palm Beach. Areas of the Bahamas including the Abaco, Berry Islands, Bimini and Grand Bahama Island are also under a hurricane warning. Storm surge warnings stretch from North Palm Beach, Florida, to Altamaha Sound in Georgia, and from the mouth of St. Johns River to Georgetown, Florida.
Despite a hurricane warning being issued along the central part of Florida's east coast on Tuesday, Florida’s general election should not be impacted by Tropical Storm Nicole. Storm preparations have been taking place in cities and counties across the state since Monday, but AccuWeather meteorologists don’t expect the storm to reach Florida’s central coast until early Thursday morning, when it is forecast to be a hurricane. But in some counties, however, not only had homes been heavily impacted by Hurricane Ian, but polling sites as well.
Lee County, the eighth-most populated county in Florida, had 97 polling locations slashed to just 12 due to structural damage and also a lack of poll workers and trucks to deliver voting equipment. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis allowed Charlotte, Sarasota and Lee counties to extend the number of days for early voting as they were the hardest-hit areas by Ian, but of the 300,000 voters estimated to turn out overall in Lee County, only 190,000 people were reported to have cast their ballot as of Friday. “If this was a normal election, our turnout is great. But this is not a normal election,” Lee County's Supervisor of Elections Tommy Doyle told AccuWeather.
Cities and counties across Florida have already opened sandbag distribution sites in preparation for Tropical Storm Nicole. The public works team in Daytona Beach provided 3,950 sandbags on Monday and will keep operations open Tuesday until 5 p.m. EST at Bethune Point Park for residents and business owners. Officials in Fort Lauderdale opened a distribution site on Tuesday, until 7 p.m. EST at Mills Pond Park, where residents can get up to six bags per vehicle after providing proof of city residency. Orlando’s Orange County also opened four sites for residents to pick up sandbags prior to the storm. The locations will be open to residents Tuesday and Wednesday until 5:30 p.m. EST or while supplies last. As the storm approaches, additional Florida communities might make similar announcements.
Officials in Jacksonville issued a beach safety alert on Tuesday. The Twitter announcement warned residents and beachgoers of “extremely dangerous ocean conditions” and said ocean rescue lifeguards will not be on duty during bad weather conditions.
AccuWeather meteorologists expect Tropical Storm Nicole to turn westward before charging toward Florida’s central coast early Thursday morning as a hurricane. Landfall is expected to occur between West Palm Beach to Melbourne, Florida. A more southern track could possibly bring more significant impacts to Fort Lauderdale and Miami. On the other hand, a track more to the north could bring more severe conditions to the Florida Space Coast and the Jacksonville Beach area. After landfall, Nicole is forecast to cut westward across the peninsula before turning and aiming for the Northeast later in the week. Should the storm track far enough west and emerge over the Gulf of Mexico, there’s a chance the system could strengthen again.
If the calendar didn’t indicate that it was November, it might be difficult to tell what month it was just by looking at the tropics. Despite November being the final month of the Atlantic hurricane season, it has been quite busy so far, with three systems reaching at least tropical storm strength.
Hurricane Lisa formed on the last day of October as a tropical storm before strengthening into a Category 1 hurricane and making landfall in Belizeon Nov. 2. Hurricane Martin formed as a tropical storm on the first day of November. Then a day later, Martin strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane in the North Atlantic Ocean before it became an extratropical storm that brought heavy rain and gusty winds to parts of the United Kingdom. Nicole became the third tropical storm of the month on Tuesday.
Three tropical systems in eight days is an occurrence more typical of August, which is climatologically one of the most active months for tropical storms and hurricanes in the Atlantic basin. But this past August, for the first time in 25 years, there were no named tropical storms in the basin. According to AccuWeather forecasters, atmospheric conditions were “too hostile” to support tropical development across the basin in August.
The northwestern curve in Tropical Storm Nicole’s track will take it near the northern Bahamian islands of Abaco and Grand Bahama, two islands that Hurricane Dorian hit hard in 2019. Nicole’s intensity will be a far cry from Dorian’s Category 4 strength as it is forecast to become a hurricane after passing over the islands. However, the storm will be a 1 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes for both the Bahamas and the United States.
Nicole is forecast to parallel Dorian’s path up the East Coast, trudging through the Eastern Seaboard once it makes landfall in Florida. Dorian’s path took the storm more over the Atlantic before it made landfall over Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Should Nicole survive the trip to Atlantic Canada as Dorian did, it will be the second system to do so during the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season following Fiona.
The eye path of Hurricane Dorian through the Bahamas back in 2019.
Many cities and towns along Florida’s east coast are making preparations for Tropical Storm Nicole’s arrival, even as large parts of the state have yet to recover from Hurricane Ian, which slammed into southwestern Florida on Sept. 28 as a strong Category 4 hurricane and dumped massive amounts of rain, causing flooding across central Florida.
• The city of Fort Lauderdale, just north of Miami, was taking preliminary protective measures, including the distribution of sandbags for residents at Mills Pond Park beginning Tuesday morning for those living along the shore.
• Flagler County officials are urging residents and businesses on the barrier island – from the Volusia County line to the St. John’s County line – to be prepared to evacuate as early as Wednesday morning. “At this time, it is expected that Flagler County will see conditions similar to what we saw with Hurricane Ian, to include coastal flooding and power outages but with less rainfall and therefore less inland flooding,” said Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord. “If we call for evacuations, we will open a shelter.”
• In Volusia County, home to Daytona Beach, officials there are telling people to stay off the beaches due to wind, high surf and already damaged beach structures, and advising shoreline residents to consider evacuating to a safer location. “We need to take this storm very seriously because it could cause more coastal erosion, which could be devastating to our beachfront properties (already) impacted by Hurricane Ian,” said Volusia County Emergency Director Jim Judge. The county has also started making sandbags available to residents.
• The city of North Port in Sarasota County, Florida, will even be closing its FEMA Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) Wednesday. The center, like many others that sprung up around southwest Florida, helps residents still reeling from the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
Tropical Storm Nicole, expected to escalate to a hurricane by its landfall in Florida Thursday morning, could bring strong storm surges of at least 6 feet in some spots along eastern Florida, with most areas likely to see a surge of about 3 to 6 feet extending north to Georgia and the Carolinas, according to AccuWeather forecasters. A storm surge warning has been issued for North Palm Beach, Florida, to the Altamaha Sound in southeastern Georgia. A warning is also in effect for areas from the mouth of the St. Johns River to Georgetown, Florida.
The combination of a dangerous storm surge - an above-normal rise in seawater along the coast - and a rising tide is expected to cause heavy flooding in coastal communities from Thursday night into Saturday. Florida Division of Emergency Management officials warned residents that surges can be life-threatening, cautioning that even a mere 6 inches of water can knock over an adult. If large enough, a storm surge could wash away entire structures and permanently alter the shape and size of coastal areas.
All-time record storm surges include 13 feet at Savannah, Georgia, and 10 feet at Jacksonville, Florida, according to AccuWeather meteorologists.
As a result of the long-duration impacts that Nicole is forecast to bring, AccuWeather meteorologists have rated Nicole a 1 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale for Hurricanes.
AccuWeather created the RealImpact Scale to provide practical information that residents of storm-stricken environments can use to evaluate threats posed by a hurricane or tropical storm. The RealImpact Scale differs from the widely used Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale scale, which classifies storms only by wind speed. The AccuWeather scale takes into consideration a host of other factors such as flooding rain, storm surge and economic damages. Using factors such as inland flooding and storm surge, which are more likely to result in deaths and damages than wind speed alone, makes the RealImpact Scale a superior communicator as far as a storm’s potential impact on lives.
While Hurricane Ian was rated a 5, the highest level on the scale, Nicole has been rated a 1. This means that Nicole is expected to bring localized flooding and some property damage. Localized power outages are also possible. Forecasters warn impacts could be severe from Miami to Jacksonville.
As of 10 a.m. EST Tuesday, Nicole had officially transitioned into a tropical storm, the National Hurricane Center said. In the same advisory, the NHC said hurricane warnings were in effect for parts of Florida's east coast, specifically, from Boca Raton to the Flagler/Volusia county line. A hurricane watch has been issued from the Flagler/Volusia county line to Ponte Vedra Beach, the NHC said.
Nicole, already a massive storm even when it was classified as subtropical, was gaining strength early Tuesday in the western Atlantic. The storm's maximum sustained winds had increased to 50 mph, up from 45 mph at 4 a.m. EST, according to the National Hurricane Center. Nicole was located around 350 miles east-northeast of the northwestern Bahamas and 460 miles east of West Palm Beach, Florida, as of 10 a.m. EST Tuesday and was moving west-northwest at a speed of 8 mph.
Tropical Storm Nicole over the western Atlantic on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. (AccuWeather Enhanced RealVue™ Satellite)
As Subtropical Storm Nicole continues its path to storm-weary Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Monday for 34 counties that could be impacted by the storm. Counties under the emergency order include sizable hubs, such as Broward County (home to Fort Lauderdale) and Miami-Dade County (home to Miami), DeSantis said. Also on the list is Lee County, an area that suffered 60 deaths during Hurricane Ian's catastrophic rampage.
“I urge all Floridians to be prepared and to listen to announcements from local emergency management officials,” DeSantis stated in a press release. “We will continue to monitor the trajectory and strength of this storm as it moves towards Florida.” Nicole is anticipated to strengthen into a hurricane, prior to its landfall along the Central Florida coast between late Wednesday night and early Thursday.
Since 2000, a number of hurricanes have made landfall across Florida, including Hurricane Ian less than two months ago. But landfall in the month of November is fairly uncommon for the Sunshine State. Only two hurricanes on record have hit Florida in the month of November: Kate, which made landfall on the Florida Panhandle in November 1985, and an unnamed hurricane in 1935 which hit just north of Miami.
The 1935 storm was dubbed the “Yankee Hurricane” because of its unusually late-season landfall and track into Florida. The storm made landfall as a Category 2 storm near Miami Beach. The state has also been impacted by tropical storms during November, most recently being Eta in 2020 which brought heavy rainfall to the state.
Al Garcia holds his granddaughter Kristen, 13 months, as he contemplates damage done to his Greenhouse in Mexico Beach, Florida on Friday, Nov. 22, 1985, in the wake of Hurricane Kate. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
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