Hurricane Warnings are currently in effectin portions of southeast and east-central Florida as well as the northwestern Bahamas, where hurricane conditions and a dangerous storm surge are expected on Wednesday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
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As of Tuesday morning, the storm was about 350 miles away from the northwestern Bahamas and about 460 miles away from West Palm Beach, according to theNational Hurricane Center.
Nicole, currently a large tropical cyclone with sustained winds of up to 50 mph, is forecasted to approach the northwestern Bahamas throughout Tuesday and “move near or over those islands on Wednesday, according to the NHC. It is expected to approach the east coast of Florida Wednesday night, before moving across the state and into southern Georgia through Thursday.
By the time it moves near the Bahamas and the east coast of Florida on Wednesday, Nicole “is forecast to be near or at hurricane strength.”
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If Nicole makes landfall as a hurricane, it will be arare event for November, which marks the end of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season.
Nicole is the third named storm to form in the Atlantic since Halloween, according toThe New York Times. Phil Klotzbach, a senior research scientist at Colorado State University, said on Twitter that’s"the most” ever to formbetween Oct. 31 and Nov 7.
NBC Newsreported that there’s only been one hurricane to hit the Florida Peninsula in November, which occurred in 1935. Another storm, Hurricane Kate, made landfall in Florida’s panhandle on Nov. 21, 1985, as a Category 2 storm, per the outlet.
In fact, there have only been five November hurricanes to make landfall in the contiguous United States since the mid-1850s, reportedThe Washington Post. Should Nicole make landfall as a hurricane, it will be a 30 to 40 year event, the newspaper reported.
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In his state of emergency declaration, DeSantis urged Floridians “to be prepared and listen to announcements from local emergency management officials.”
“We will continue to monitor the trajectory and strength of this storm as it moves towards Florida,” he added.
The National Hurricane Center is also advising that Nicole is “expected to be a large storm,” and even areas outside of the forecast zone may feel its effects.
“These hazards are likely to affect much of the Florida peninsula and portions of the southeast US,” they wrote.
source: people.com
