A tropical storm and storm surge warning has been issued along Florida’s east coast as subtropical storm Nicole heads toward Florida, according to the National Weather Service.
The NWS warned Monday that Nicole could be as powerful as a hurricane when it approaches Florida’s east coast later this week.
The storm could affect Election Week in the Sunshine State. There, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is pitted against his Democratic rival Charlie Christ, while Rep. Valdemings (D-Florida) is about to fire Senator Marco Rubio (D-Florida).
DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in 34 counties.
ABC Weather graphic, released November 7, 2022 at 1pm, shows Nicole’s latest track as Cat 1 Hurricane landed near Jupiter, Florida on Wednesday night.
ABC News
“At this time, we do not expect this storm to get any stronger, but we urge all Florida residents to be prepared,” he said. “We will continue to monitor the trajectory and intensity of this storm as it moves toward Florida.”
florida power &Light is urging customers to prepare for power outages and this week began contingency planning ahead of Nicole’s potential impact on the state.
“[Hurricane] With soil saturated and trees weakening in many parts of the state, Nicole could knock down trees and blow other vegetation and debris into overhead power lines and equipment, causing power outages. FPL Chairman and CEO Eric Silagy said in a statement.
Nicole formed in the southwestern Atlantic on Monday, making it the 14th named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends this month. Nicole’s center will approach the northwestern Bahamas on Tuesday, move near or over these islands on Wednesday, and approach eastern Florida by Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service.
Subtropical Storm Nicole could affect Florida later this week.
NOAA
Nicole is currently using a maximum sustained wind of about 45 mph, with higher gusts. Winds of over 40 miles per hour extend outward to 275 miles east of the center of the storm.
In a public advisory issued Monday morning, the National Weather Service said: “Expected to gradually intensify over the next few days, with Nicole approaching or becoming hurricane intensity by Wednesday or Wednesday night. It’s possible,” he said.
A tropical storm warning is currently in effect for the northwestern Bahamas.
A tropical storm is possible in the northwestern Bahamas by Tuesday evening or early Wednesday morning. According to the National Weather Service, storm surges can raise water levels as much as 3 to 5 feet above normal sea levels along the coast in areas with land winds.
A hurricane alert remains in effect from the Bahamas and Cape Canaveral to West Palm Beach. Tropical storm watch from Miami and Daytona to South East Georgia as shown on the ABC weather map released at 1:00 PM on November 7, 2022.
ABC News
Nicole is expected to produce 2 to 4 inches of rainfall in the northwestern Bahamas Tuesday through Thursday, with up to 6 inches of localized rain. According to the National Weather Service, the storm is expected to bring “heavy rain” to parts of Florida and the southeastern United States.
Four to seven inches of precipitation is possible along the eastern coastline from Florida to Carolina. Strong tropical storm winds of 60 to 70 mph are also predicted, depending on how strong Nicole gets. Storms can lead to beach erosion, rough waves and rip currents. .
Tropical weather systems can quickly grow into hurricanes, but subtropical weather systems do not. Subtropical storms typically bring more rain and severe thunderstorms. When a subtropical storm intensifies to hurricane-strength winds, it has become fully tropical. According to the National Weather Service, there is no such thing as a subtropical hurricane.
