HURRICANE

Hurricane Nicole approaching landfall on Florida's East Coast with 75 mph winds

  • Hurricane conditions are expected across portions of Florida beginning this evening.
  • A dangerous storm surge is expected along much of the east coast of Florida and portions of coastal Georgia.
  • Nicole is a large storm, with hazards extending well to the north of the center.

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Nicole strengthened to a hurricane while making landfall on Grand Bahama Island on Wednesday evening. Maximum sustained winds were reported at 75 mph, by the National Hurricane Center. 

On its current forecast track, the center of Nicole is expected to make its next landfall tonight or early Thursday along the Treasure Coast as a Category 1 hurricane, with winds of 75 mph. 

Nicole's center is then forecast to move across central and northern Florida into southern Georgia Thursday and Thursday night, and then into the Carolinas Friday.

Hurricane guide: See how you should prepare and what to do after a storm passes

Cone of uncertainty: See the latest graphic from the NHC

Satellite images: See latest satellite image from NOAA, for a clearer picture of the storm's size

Webcams: See conditions at Florida beaches 

Current projections put the center of Nicole coming ashore around Port St. Lucie late tonight, but the Hurricane Center warned residents to not focus on the exact track of Nicole since it remains a large storm.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward 25 miles from the center, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 485 miles, especially to the north of the center and outside of the forecast cone.

Nicole's impacts are expected to affect most of Florida and portions of the southeast United States.

Evacuations were ordered or recommended in several communities on Florida's east coast, several airports — including Orlando — announced they would be closed, and both Disney World and Universal will be closing some things ahead of the anticipated hurricane.

Where is Hurricane Nicole now?

Here is the latest data on Hurricane Nicole pulled from the National Hurricane Center's 10 p.m. advisory.

  • Location: 75 miles east-northeast of West Palm Beach
  • Maximum sustained winds: 75 mph
  • Movement: west-northwest at 13 mph
  • Pressure: 980 MB (millibars)
  • When next advisory will be released: 1 a.m.

At 10 p.m., the center of Hurricane Nicole was located 75 miles east-northeast of West Palm Beach.

Nicole is moving toward the west-northwest near 13 mph. A turn toward the northwest is expected on Thursday, followed by a turn toward the north and north-northeast on Friday.

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On the forecast track, the center of Nicole will move onshore the east coast of Florida within the hurricane warning area late tonight or early Thursday.

Nicole's center is then expected to move across central and northern Florida into southern Georgia Thursday and Thursday night, and into the Carolinas Friday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 75 mph with higher gusts. Little change in strength is expected until Nicole makes landfall along the Florida east coast. 

Nicole is expected to weaken while moving across Florida and the southeastern United States Thursday through Friday, and it is likely to become a post-tropical cyclone by Friday afternoon.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward 25 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 485 miles from the center especially to the north of the center. A WeatherFlow station at Juno Beach Pier recently reported a wind gust of 55 mph, and a C-MAN station at Settlement Point on Grand Bahama Island recently reported a wind gust of 55 mph. 

How far is Hurricane Nicole from West Palm Beach?

What does Nicole's cone of uncertainty represent?

The cone of uncertainty, posted by the National Hurricane Center, shows some possible paths of the storm's center. As you monitor the forecast, keep in mind that the impact of Nicole may be felt well outside the cone — and that storm tracks go outside of the cone about a third of the time.

As of the latest advisory, tropical-storm-force winds extend 485  miles from the center of Nicole, and hurricane-force winds extend 25 miles from center.

Spaghetti models: Track Nicole here

Watches and warnings issued for Palm Beach County

All watches and warnings in effect

A hurricane warning is in effect for:

  • The Abacos, Berry Islands, Bimini, and Grand Bahama Island in the northwestern Bahamas
  • Boca Raton to Flagler/Volusia County Line

A tropical storm warning is in effect for:

  • Bimini in the northwestern Bahamas
  • Hallandale Beach Florida to Boca Raton 
  • Flagler/Volusia County Line Florida to South Santee River South Carolina
  • North of Bonita Beach to Indian Pass 
  • Lake Okeechobee

A storm surge warning is in effect for:

  • North Palm Beach Florida to Altamaha Sound Georgia
  • Mouth of the St. Johns River to Georgetown 
  • Anclote River Florida to Ochlockonee River 

A  hurricane watch is in effect for:

  • Lake Okeechobee

A storm surge watch is in effect for:

  • South of North Palm Beach to Hallandale Beach 
  • Altamaha Sound Georgia to South Santee River South Carolina
  • Anclote River Florida to Indian Pass 

Potential impacts from Hurricane Nicole

Wind: Hurricane and tropical storm conditions will continue across portions of the northwestern Bahamas through tonight. Tropical storm conditions will continue along portions of the east coast of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina in the warning areas into Thursday. Hurricane conditions are expected within the hurricane warning area in Florida tonight or Thursday morning. Hurricane conditions are possible within the hurricane watch area tonight. Tropical storm conditions are expected within the warning area along the west coast of Florida by this evening or tonight.

Storm surge: The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide:

  •  North Palm Beach Florida to Altamaha Sound Georgia including the St. Johns River to the Fuller Warren Bridge...3 to 5 ft
  •  Anclote River to Ochlockonee River...3 to 5 ft
  •  Altamaha Sound Georgia to the South Santee River South Carolina...2 to 4 ft
  •  St. Johns River south of the Fuller Warren Bridge to Georgetown Florida...2 to 4 ft
  •  Hallandale Beach to North Palm Beach...2 to 4 ft
  •  Ochlockonee River to Indian Pass...2 to 4 ft
  •  Englewood to Anclote River including Tampa Bay...1 to 3 ft
  •  North of Ocean Reef to Hallandale Beach including Biscayne Bay...1 to 2 ft
  •  South Santee River to Surf City North Carolina...1 to 2 ft

Storm surge could raise water levels by as much as 4 to 6 feet above normal tide levels along the immediate coast of the northwestern Bahamas in areas of onshore winds.

The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast near and to the north of the landfall location, where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves. Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances.

Rain: Nicole is expected to produce the following rainfall amounts through Saturday:

Northwest Bahamas into the eastern, central and northern portions of the Florida Peninsula: 3 to 5 inches with local maxima of 8 inches.

Southeast into the southern and central Appalachians, western Mid-Atlantic, and eastern portions of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio: 2 to 4 inches with local maxima of 6 inches along the Blue Ridge.

Northern Mid-Atlantic into New England: 1 to 4 inches.

Flash and urban flooding will be possible, along with renewed river rises on the St. Johns River, across the Florida Peninsula today into Thursday. Heavy rainfall from this system will spread northward across portions of the Southeast, eastern Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and New England Thursday into Friday night, where limited flooding impacts will be possible.

Tornadoes: A few tornadoes are possible this evening through Thursday across eastern Florida, southeastern Georgia, and southern South Carolina.

Surf: Large swells generated by Nicole will affect the northwestern Bahamas, the east coast of Florida, and much of the southeastern United States coast during the next several days. These swells are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

Helpful hurricane resources and links

Get your home ready: Here's how to prepare your home for a hurricane, from well in advance to just before a storm's arrival

Need to prepare for a hurricane? Here's what you should have in a disaster supply kit

Hurricane preparedness list: If a storm is coming, here is what you need to do now

Video: Helpful tips for a hurricane survival kit

Hurricanes, typhoons, and cyclones: What’s an invest and why do they keep saying tropical cyclone?

Officials encourage residents to assemble a hurricane kit early, storing enough supplies to last at least three days. Doing so ensures there are adequate supplies available on store shelves and prevents a rush — and shortages — that regularly occur when a storm is imminent.