Hurricane Warning: Tropical Storm Nicole is Expected to Hit Florida, US East Coast as a Category 1 Hurricane

Tropical Storm Nicole is expected to hit the Eastern United States by initially making landfall in Florida as a Category 1 hurricane in the early morning (local time) of Thursday, November 10.

Afterward, potential Hurricane Nicole will traverse the US East Coast and even reach the Northeast US, bringing possible heavy rain, flash flooding, and damaging winds.

US weather authorities have issued a hurricane warning, and the storm has already triggered evacuation orders in Florida since it has strengthened in the past several hours.

Same evacuation measures are possible in other eastern states.

Based on previous weather forecasts, Nicole could generate coastal flooding or erosion along Florida coasts, as well as damage power lines and cause massive flooding.

In addition, disruption of travel, including road public transport, train services, and flights are possible prior to Nicole's imminent landfall in the Sunshine State.

Infrastructural damage affecting roads, commercial buildings, and residential homes are also some of the potential impacts of the storm should it become a hurricane.

Regardless, it can still affect US communities still affected by recent storms.

The looming threat in Florida and its surrounding regions comes more than a month after Hurricane Ian made landfall in the state in late September, causing widespread disruption and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

Multiple reports show at least 100 people died and a number of structures were destroyed when Ian wreaked havoc for several days, even reaching other states in the East Coast.

Hurricane Warning

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) states thousands of Floridians are under evacuation orders due to a strengthening Tropical Storm Nicole, which is currently northeast of the Bahamas and 420 miles east of Melbourne Beach, Florida.

With this, the NHC issued hurricane warnings from the Volusia-Flagler county line and south to Boca Raton, as cited by the Orlando Sentinel.

In the late weather developments, other reports suggested an earlier landfall for potential Hurricane Nicole.

According to ABC News, the storm is set to make landfall overnight from Wednesday, November 9, into Thursday in an area between Fort Pierce and Melbourne.

At least 14 Florida school districts, including Orange and Palm Beach counties, are closing its schools on Wednesday and Thursday.

During the hurricane alert, the lingering storm can also disrupt the election week in Florida where Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is seeking another term against Democratic candidate Charlie Crist and Representative Val Demings.

The Hurricane State

Florida is one of the states in the country that serves as a frontline for approaching storms or hurricanes from the central-northern Atlantic Ocean, as well as those passing through the north Caribbean Sea and eastern Gulf of Mexico.

Since the year 1850, all of Florida's coastal areas have been impacted by at least one hurricane, according to the Florida Climate Center.

With its wide-stretched coastline and location, the state frequently finds itself in the path of destructive storms.

In particular, Southeast Florida is extremely vulnerable to a land-falling hurricane, followed by the Florida panhandle, the center added.