Hurricane Nicole makes landfall in Florida
Hurricane Nicole made landfall in Florida on Florida’s east coast early Thursday before being downgraded to a tropical storm, battering the area with strong winds and heavy rains.
The rare November storm comes less than two months after Hurricane Ian devastated the state. Ian claimed the lives of at least 100 people and resulted in billions of dollars in damage.
Nicole prompted evacuation orders throughout Florida, including at former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, where he’s set to give a “very big announcement” on Tuesday amid speculation of a 2024 reelection bid.
There was no sign of evacuation at Mar-a-Lago Wednesday afternoon.
Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) declared a state of emergency for dozens of Florida counties in advance of Nicole’s landfall and is gearing up to deal with the hurricane just days after winning reelection to another term in the Florida governor’s mansion.
The National Hurricane Center warns Nicole is expected to push dangerous and potentially life-threatening storm surge, rains and winds over central Florida, further straining areas that are still recovering from Hurricane Ian and causing further erosion of Florida beaches.
The Associated Press contributed to this report, which was updated at 8:12 a.m.
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