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Nicole strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane Wednesday after sweeping through the Bahamas en route to landfall along Florida’s east coast.
Nicole arrived ashore over Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas with maximum winds of 70 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The hurricane’s approach has left many communities fearful after having already endured the wrath of Hurricane Ian, which walloped the Southwest Florida coast on Sept. 28 as a Category 4 hurricane. At least 109 people died.
As of 6 p.m. Wednesday, the hurricane center said Nicole was 105 miles to the east of West Palm Beach, Florida. The hurricane is moving westward at 12 mph toward Florida’s east coast.
Projections put landfall along the Treasure Coast late Wednesday or early Thursday.
In Florida, the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office said in a tweet that storm surge from Nicole had already breached the sea wall along Indian River Drive, which runs parallel to the Atlantic Ocean. The Martin County Sheriff’s office also said seawater had breached part of a road on Hutchinson Island.
Residents in several Florida counties — Flagler, Palm Beach, Martin, and Volusia — were ordered to evacuate such barrier islands, low-lying areas, and mobile homes. Volusia, home to Daytona Beach, imposed a curfew and warned that intercoastal bridges used by evacuees would close when winds reach 39 mph.
About 400 people checked in evacuation centers in Palm Beach County on Wednesday.
At least half a dozen multi-story, coastal residential buildings in Daytona Beach Shores that were already damaged by Hurricane Ian are being threatened by Nicole, according to local officials.
After making U.S. landfall, Nicole’s center is forecast to move across central and northern Florida into southern Georgia on Thursday and Thursday night, then into the Carolinas on Friday.
Here’s what we know.
Where is Hurricane Nicole now?
Here is the latest data on Hurricane Nicole from the National Hurricane Center’s 6 p.m. EST advisory.
- Location: 105 miles east of West Palm Beach
- Maximum sustained winds: 75 mph
- Movement: west at 12 mph
- Pressure: 980 millibars
- When next advisory will be released: 7 p.m. EST
Nicole is now a Category 1 hurricane. Category 1 hurricanes sustain dangerous winds from 74 to 95 mph, which can produce some damage to homes, trees, and powerlines.
Early Wednesday, a National Ocean Service station at the Lake Worth Pier reported sustained winds of 44 mph and a wind gust of 55 mph. Nicole’s center will approach the east coast of Florida within the hurricane warning area Wednesday night.
Nicole was expected to weaken while moving across Florida and the southeastern United States on Thursday through Friday and become a post-tropical cyclone by Friday night over the mid-Atlantic states.
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What damage could Nicole do?
Tropical storm conditions in the northwestern Bahamas and portions of Florida’s east coast Wednesday were expected to spread to Georgia and South Carolina later Wednesday. The National Hurricane Center also forecasted hurricane conditions in Florida by Wednesday night or Thursday morning.
Nicole could trigger dangerous storm surge of up to 5 feet in areas along the Florida and Georgia coasts, and water levels could reach up to 6 feet in the Bahamas, according to the hurricane center.
Forecasters predicted “a few tornadoes” Wednesday night through Thursday across eastern Florida, southeast Georgia and southern South Carolina.
Rainfall will be a key concern, according to Kottlowski. Nicole is expected to drench the northwestern Bahamas and parts of Florida with between 3 to 5 inches of rain before moving north.
“There’s a possibility of a lot of flash flooding in the western Carolinas up to perhaps the mountains of Virginia and into Pennsylvania,” Kottlowski said.
Florida prepares for Nicole
In anticipation of Hurricane Nicole, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that 15 shelters were being opened Wednesday along the state’s coast.
DeSantis advised people to move to safer areas inland and that Floridians should expect power outages. About 16,000 lineworkers are prepared for power restoration efforts. DeSantis added that the Florida National Guard has activated 600 guardsmen, in addition to seven urban search and rescue teams on standby.
President Joe Biden also approved federal emergency aid to 45 out of 67 Florida counties, along with the Miccosukee Tribe and Seminole Tribe. Schools, universities, airports, and theme parks will be closed on Thursday.
17 school districts were closed or dismissed early Wednesday and at least 23 school districts will be closed on Thursday.
Florida State University, the University of Florida, the University of Central Florida, and the University of North Florida will close on Thursday. The University of South Florida plans to move all classes remotely on Thursday, and will close the campus.
Several airports, including Orlando International Airport, announced they would be closed on Wednesday and Thursday.
Disney World and Universal Orlando also announced early closures Wednesday and will likely be closed on Thursday.
Nicole is a rare November storm
Only one hurricane on record has made landfall after Nov. 4 in the continental U.S. That was Hurricane Kate on Nov. 21, 1985, which hit at Category 2 intensity near Mexico Beach, Florida, said Colorado State University hurricane researcher Phil Klotzbach.
NASA, Artemis I prep for Nicole
Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station are preparing the massive moon-bound Artemis I rocket ahead of Nicole bearing down on Florida.
The rocket will ride out the storm at Kennedy Space Center’s pad 39B. Officials opted out of the multi-day task of rolling the multibillion-dollar rocket to the Vehicle Assembly Building some four miles away. The building is rated to handle winds up to 85 mph, and a Category 1 storm’s winds are between 74 and 95 mph.
“The rocket is designed to withstand heavy rains at the launch pad and the spacecraft hatches have been secured to prevent water intrusion,” NASA said in a statement.
NASA confirmed Tuesday it would delay the Space Launch System rocket’s liftoff to no earlier than 1:04 a.m. EST Wednesday, Nov. 16, due to Nicole.
Nicole path: Track the storm here
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Contributing: Ashley R. Williams, Doyle Rice USA TODAY; The Associated Press
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