MIAMI — Subtropical Storm Nicole began strengthening on Tuesday as Florida’s eastern coast prepares for a possible tropical storm or Category 1 hurricane later this week.
Overnight, the National Hurricane Center nudged its predicted track north toward Melbourne, but Nicole’s wind field is already nearly the size of the entire state, so its effects will be felt throughout Florida starting as early as Wednesday.
In addition to the hurricane watches already issued along Florida’s east coast, the hurricane center early Tuesday upgraded the east coast’s tropical storm watch to a warning and issued a tropical storm watch for portions of the state’s western coast.
Early Tuesday morning, an Air Force hurricane hunter plane investigated Nicole’s “large wind field,” according to an update from the hurricane center. The strongest winds are clustered to the north of the storm, bringing potentially bigger impacts for Northeast Florida.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in 34 Florida counties, including South Florida. Officials in coastal counties warned that some evacuations might be needed, but none have been called yet, and no school closings have been announced.
Later Tuesday, at 10 a.m., drawbridges in Miami-Dade County will begin to be locked down to marine traffic. Locked bridges include those over the Intracoastal and the Miami River.
As Nicole advances, people in Florida shouldn’t be overly focused on the hurricane map cone, said CBS Miami meteorologist Lissette Gonzalez.
“This is a large system and we are going to be feeling the impact here,” she said Tuesday.
What’s next?
As of 7 a.m. Tuesday, the National Hurricane Center placed Subtropical Storm Nicole 385 miles east-northeast of the northwestern Bahamas. The storm, with sustained winds of 50 mph, was traveling northwest at 8 mph.
According to forecasters, South Florida could face flooding, heavy rain, a storm surge and high winds Wednesday night and Thursday as the storm slops across the coast. Hurricane conditions are expected in portions of the Bahamas on Wednesday.
The hurricane center predicts Nicole’s center will make landfall overnight on Wednesday or early Thursday, but the storm’s highest winds are concentrated to the north, so Northeast Florida could feel the brunt of Nicole’s winds a bit later.
Storm surge will peak on Wednesday, when tides are still running high from Tuesday’s King Tide, one of the highest annual tides. In Miami-Dade, the hurricane center predicts up to two feet of storm surge. That prediction includes the King Tide flooding.
Storm surge predictions get higher farther up the coast, with two to four feet expected in coastal Broward and Palm Beach counties, and three to five feet of surge expected from north of Palm Beach County to Jacksonville.
That, coupled with up to three to five inches of rain across the state, could cause some serious coastal flooding. The hurricane center issued storm surge watches and warnings for most of the coast, and Miami-Dade is under a coastal flood advisory.
Nicole is expected to make a sharp left turn toward the Bahamas and Florida and transition to a tropical storm on Tuesday. Forecasters said the broad wind field, mostly to the north of the storm, could consolidate as Nicole creeps closer, delivering a stronger blow.
Jamie Rhome, acting director of the National Hurricane Center, said that Floridians should be prepared for a low-end hurricane to a high-end tropical storm. Preparations should be done by sundown Tuesday for east coast residents, he said.
“Not an Ian situation, but still a potentially impactful situation,” Rhome said. “Florida residents need to be paying attention.”
Watches and warnings
— A tropical storm watch has been issued for the west coast of Florida north of Bonita Beach to the Ochlockonee River.
— A tropical storm warning was issued from Hallandale Beach in Broward County to Altamaha Sound, Georgia, the hurricane center said Monday in its 10 p.m. advisory. Lake Okeechobee is also under a tropical storm warning.
— The hurricane center also upgraded the storm surge watch to a storm surge warning from North Palm Beach north to Altamaha Sound, including the mouth of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville to Georgetown.
— A storm surge watch was issued south of North Palm Beach to Hallandale Beach.
— A hurricane watch is in effect for Florida’s east coast from the Volusia-Brevard county line to Hallandale Beach, and Lake Okeechobee. And the area from Hallandale Beach to north of Ocean Reef — including Miami-Dade County — is under a tropical storm watch.
Forecasters said Nicole was expected to make landfall overnight Wednesday, but high winds, flooding and storm surge could pick up earlier in the day.
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