MIAMI (AP) — Nicole hit Florida’s east coast as a hurricane Thursday and remains such a sprawling tropical storm that it has covered nearly the entire state while reaching into Georgia, the Carolinas and Alabama.
A large area of the weather-weary peninsula was being lashed by strong winds and heavy rain, with a damaging ocean surge in a few coastal areas
MIAMI (AP) — Nicole hit Florida’s east coast as a hurricane Thursday and remains such a sprawling tropical storm that it has covered nearly the entire state while reaching into Georgia, the Carolinas and Alabama.
A large area of the weather-weary peninsula was being lashed by strong winds and heavy rain, with a damaging ocean surge in a few coastal areas.
The rare November hurricane prompted officials to shut down airports and theme parks and order evacuations in areas that included former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.
Authorities warned that Nicole‘s storm surge could further erode many beaches hit by Hurricane Ian in September.
Tropical storm force winds extended as far as 450 miles (720 kilometres) from the centre in some directions as Nicole turned northward over central Florida Thursday morning. It could briefly emerge over the northeastern corner of the Gulf of Mexico Thursday afternoon before moving over the Florida Panhandle and Georgia, forecasters said.
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