Nicole on Tuesday was upgraded to a tropical storm and is expected to strengthen, prompting a hurricane warning for parts of east central Florida and the southeast coast, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The tropical storm is currently about 460 miles east of West Palm Beach, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, and moving west at 9 mph.
The center of Nicole is expected to approach the northwestern Bahamas Tuesday and be at or near hurricane strength as it moves near or over the islands on Wednesday before getting to Florida’s east coast Wednesday night. The storm is then “expected to move across central and northern Florida into southern Georgia Thursday and Thursday night,” the hurricane center said.
Hurricane conditions including strong winds, rainfall and storm surge are expected in the northwestern Bahamas and along Florida’s east coast on Wednesday, with tropical storm conditions possible in Georgia along the east coast as well.
Portions of the eastern, central and northern Florida peninsula as well as the northwestern Bahamas can receive anywhere from 3 to 7 inches of rain. Southeast Georgia and parts of South Carolina may get 1 to 4 inches, and heavy rainfall may spread further north up the Eastern Seaboard late Thursday into Friday.
“Dangerous storm surge” anywhere from 3 to 5 feet is also expected along Florida and Georgia’s east coast from North Palm Beach to the Altamaha Sound including. Flash and urban flooding is also likely across the Florida Peninsula Wednesday and Thursday due to river rises on the St. Johns River.
“The storm surge will be accompanied by large and damaging waves,” the hurricane center said.
The northwest Bahamas can also expect storm surge of 4 to 6 feet above normal tide along the coast.
The east coast of Florida from Boca Raton to Volusia County remains under hurricane watch along with islands in the northwestern Bahamas, including Grand Bahama Island and the Abacos.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on Monday for 34 counties in the path of the storm, including Miami-Dade, Palm Beach, Orange and Sarasota counties.
If Nicole hits Florida as a hurricane, it will be only the fourth on record to make landfall in the United States during November. Previously, Hurricane Kate and the Yankee Hurricane hit Florida in 1985 and 1935 respectively.
The Bahamian Government also issued an advisory warning.
“The late-season storm is a reminder that we’re not out of the woods yet as the Atlantic hurricane season continues through November 30th,” the statement read.
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