USA: Hurricane “Nicole” on its way to Florida

Hurricane “Nicole” has gained strength over the Bahamas and is now moving toward the East Coast of the United States as a relatively rare November hurricane. Evacuation has been ordered in Florida.

Tropical Storm Nicole has developed into a hurricane on its way from the Bahamas to Florida. Officials ordered evacuations, including from former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.

A hurricane in November is a rare occurrence in Florida, which is commonly used for hurricanes. This has only happened twice since records began in 1853 – Hurricane Yankee in 1935 and Hurricane Kate in 1985. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.

Florida is already infested with “Ian.”

“Nicole” was expected to reach Florida during the night (local time) and cause a storm that would further damage beaches already affected by Hurricane “Ian” in September. The storm should then move toward Georgia, North and South Carolina. Heavy rain was expected.

According to the Miami National Hurricane Center, the center of the storm was about 160 kilometers east of Palm Beach on Wednesday evening. The maximum sustained wind speed was 120 kilometers per hour. “Nicole” was moving west at 20 kilometers per hour.

“Nicole” Makes Landfall in the Bahamas

Just below the storm’s threshold, the hurricane center reached the Bahamian island of Great Abaco on Wednesday. As a result, sustained wind speeds of up to 120 kph were measured – 119 kph higher than a hurricane, according to the US Hurricane Center (NHC).

Emergency shelters were provided in the Bahamas and public facilities were closed. According to initial media reports, Abaco Island and Grand Bahama Island have been flooded. There, to the northwest of the island state, Hurricane “Dorian” was one of the strongest Atlantic hurricanes ever recorded in September 2019, causing more than 70 deaths and severe destruction.