Hurricane Nicole to Soak Florida Tonight, Multiple Warnings and Watches Issued

Tonight, Hurricane Nicole is forecast to soak Florida, prompting multiple warnings and watches to be issued by the National Weather Service for the affected regions.

The mid-Atlantic and Northeast will also be affected by Nicole's effects, which will include sustained coastal flooding, high surf, beach erosion, strong winds, heavy rain, and tornadoes. Nicole is expected to make landfall as a hurricane in Florida.

Tracking Hurricane Nicole

Nicole's center is currently making its way toward the northwest areas of the Bahamas with sustained winds up to 70 mph.

According to the National Hurricane Center's analysis, Nicole's extensive wind field means that tropical-storm-force winds of 39 mph or greater extend far to the west, north, and east of the center. The affected area will also include areas along the east coast of Florida.

There are currently wind gusts of over forty miles per hour along and near the Atlantic coast of Florida. At Sewalls Point and the Lake Fort Worth Pier, a few gusts exceeding 50 mph have been recorded.

A large portion of the Southeast coast is being affected by large, thumping waves and coastal flooding. With the high tide on Wednesday morning, water levels along the Atlantic coast of Florida peaked at a level that was roughly 2 feet above average.

On Wednesday, there were reports of flooding near residences on Anastasia Island, close to St. Augustine, and on some West Palm Beach streets. On Wednesday morning, the Flagler Beach Pier, which was already damaged by Hurricane Ian, sustained additional damage.

In Marsh Harbour, in the Bahamas' Abaco Islands, which were devastated by Hurricane Dorian in 2019, storm surge flooding was also seen on video on Wednesday morning.

Some minor street flooding was also confirmed in Charleston, South Carolina, around Wednesday morning during its high tide.

Rain showers are still moving toward Florida, according to Radar, with heavier rainbands moving westward from the Bahamas.

Multiple Watches and Warnings

Melbourne and Vero Beach are among the locations under a hurricane warning that extends from Boca Raton to the border between Flagler and Volusia counties in Florida. This indicates that hurricane-like conditions will likely exist in these areas through early Thursday morning.

There are also hurricane warnings in place for Grand Bahama Island and other areas of the northwest Bahamas, where hurricane conditions are anticipated today into tonight.

There are tropical storm warnings in effect for a sizable portion of the South Carolina and Georgia coasts, extending from southern, central, and northern Florida. These regions are currently experiencing tropical storm conditions or will continue into the day or tonight.

Orlando, Fort Myers, Tampa, Tallahassee in Florida, Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia are among the cities under tropical storm warnings.

Read also: US Is in for a Wild Weather Week in Several Parts of the Country, While Tropical Storm Nicole Affect Millions by Thursday

A storm surge warning has been issued over North Palm Beach, Florida, through Glynn County, Georgia, along a portion of the Gulf Coast of Florida from Pasco County north to Wakulla County, and along northeast Florida's St. Johns River from Georgetown to where it flows into the Atlantic Ocean north of Jacksonville Beach. This indicates that a potentially fatal surge of water is anticipated along the coast in these areas.

A storm surge watch is in effect for areas north of Glynn County, Georgia, as well as Charleston County in South Carolina, Hallandale Beach, Florida, and Franklin County in the Panhandle. It also covers areas south of North Palm Beach, Florida. This indicates that storm surge inundation is a possibility in these areas, The Weather Channel reports.

Hurricane Season

According to ABC News, the 14th named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, which will end later this month, Hurricane Nicole developed on Monday as a subtropical storm from the southwest Atlantic Ocean.

Concho Valley also reports that A low-pressure system 600 miles into the west-southwest of The Azores was also being watched by the NHC, but forecasters say there is no chance that it will intensify into a tropical depression or storm over the next five days.

Owen would be the following named storm in the 2022 hurricane season.

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