The National Hurricane Center said that Hurricane Nicole made landfall early Thursday morning near the east coast of Florida, just south of Vero Beach, before rapidly losing strength and being reduced to a tropical storm as it traveled over central Florida. The center reported that the storm was still impacting a vast portion of the storm-weary state with strong gusts, severe storm surge, and heavy rainfall.
What was uncommon A November hurricane had previously prompted officials to close airports and amusement parks and force evacuations, including the Mar-a-Lago estate of former President Donald Trump.
Authorities have warned that Nicole’s storm surge might severely destroy beaches that were damaged by Hurricane Ian in September.
Early on November 10, 2022, Tropical Storm Nicole will pass through central Florida. NOAA
And the number of power outages continued to rise: According to PowerOutage.us, around 186,000 households and businesses in Florida were without power.
According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, Nicole had maximum sustained winds of 60 mph early Thursday.
It was around 30 miles southwest of Orlando and 55 miles east of Tampa, travelling at 14 mph west-northwest.
In some areas, winds with the intensity of a tropical storm reached 450 kilometers from the storm’s center.
“The core of Nicole will travel through central Florida this morning, perhaps emerge over the far northeastern Gulf of Mexico this afternoon, and then hit the Florida Panhandle and Georgia tonight and Friday,” according to the hurricane center.
“While Nicole moves over land over the following two days, more weakening is anticipated, and the storm is projected to become a tropical depression over Georgia tonight or early Friday. Friday evening, Nicole is likely to merge with a frontal barrier across the Mid-Atlantic United States.”
Mike’s Weather Page tweeted numerous videos of tense scenarios, including the following:
Fort Pierce… picture on Twitter: j5DG1w3seS
10 November 2022 — Mike’s Weather Page (@tropicalupdate)
The city of Melbourne…
10 November 2022 — Mike’s Weather Page (@tropicalupdate)
Melbourne… picture on Twitter: iE4oisBtIJ
10 November 2022 — Mike’s Weather Page (@tropicalupdate)
Wednesday evening, Nicole blasted into Grand Bahama Island as a hurricane, only hours after making landfall as a tropical storm with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph on Great Abaco island. It is the first hurricane to strike the Bahamas since Hurricane Dorian, a Category 5 storm that ravaged the archipelago in 2019.
Since records began in 1853, this is only the third November hurricane to strike Florida’s shores, making Floridians fearful of storms. Previous hurricanes include the 1935 Yankee Hurricane and the 1985 Hurricane Kate.
Mar-a-
Trump’s club and residence, Lago, was located in one of the evacuation zones, approximately a quarter mile inland from the shore. The main buildings are situated on a slight elevation approximately 15 feet above sea level, and the property has withstood multiple hurricanes since its construction nearly a century ago. Wednesday, the security office of the resort hung up on an Associated Press reporter who asked if the club was being evacuated. By Wednesday afternoon, there was no hint of exodus.
There is no punishment for disobeying an evacuation order, but rescue crews will not react if their members are endangered.
Officials in Daytona Beach Shores have designated hazardous at least six multi-story, coastal residential structures that were already damaged by Hurricane Ian and are now threatened by Hurricane Nicole. In some areas, authorities went door-to-door advising residents to gather their belongings and evacuate.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort closed on Wednesday but will reopen on Thursday.
Wednesday morning, Palm Beach International Airport and Daytona Beach International Airport both ceased operations. The seventh-busiest airport in the United States, Orlando International Airport, also closed. Further south, officials reported flight delays and cancellations at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Miami International Airport, but both intended to remain operational.
At a news conference in Tallahassee, Governor Ron DeSantis stated that winds were the greatest concern and that substantial power outages were possible, but that 16,000 lineman, 600 guardsmen, and seven search-and-rescue teams were on standby to restore power.
DeSantis stated that Nicole “will affect large portions of the state of Florida all day.”
Nearly a dozen school districts are closing due to the hurricane, and 15 shelters are available throughout the east coast of Florida, according to the governor.
45 of the 67 counties in Florida were under an emergency declaration.
Warnings and watches were issued for a large portion of Florida, including the southern Gulf coast that was ravaged by Hurricane Ian on September 28. Throughout the state, the storm destroyed homes and damaged crops, notably orange groves, causing ongoing problems for many.
Senior hurricane specialist at the Miami-based hurricane center, Daniel Brown, stated that the storm would impact a wide portion of Florida.
“Because the system is so big, practically the whole east coast of Florida, with the exception of the extreme southeastern portion and the Keys, will experience winds of a tropical storm,” he said.
President Biden proclaimed a state of emergency in Florida and ordered federal aid to bolster state, tribal, and local response operations to the approaching hurricane early Wednesday morning. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continues to assist those in need in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
Ian produced a 13-foot storm surge late in September, causing significant havoc.