Florida bracing for new tropical storm while still reeling from Hurricane Ian
Still reeling from Hurricane Ian, Florida is bracing to be hit by a new tropical storm, which weather forecasters are predicting could cause havoc across the state.
A hurricane watch notice was issued across the east of the state for Storm Nicole, with forecasters predicting it will keep strengthening and could become a category one hurricane before making landfall on Wednesday or Thursday.
The storm is first set to go over the Caribbean before bringing heavy rainfall, rough surf and gusty winds, causing Gov. Ron DeSantis to issue a state of emergency.
“We’ll start to have rain move over the Bahamas. Then on Wednesday, some of that rain will start to move into places like Orlando and Miami. So, it’ll be certainly something to watch,” said FOX Weather Meteorologist Kiyana Lewis.
Forecasts predict heavy winds reaching up to at least 40 mph for beaches from Florida to North Carolina during the storm, which will affect bridge driving and could lead to power outages.
While the storm is not predicted to be as devastating as Category 4 Ian – which ripped a path on destruction on Florida’s West Coast at Cape Coral up to Orlando before weakening — many rivers in the state are still at high levels from the previous storm and heavy rainfall could lead to more flooding, particularly in low-lying areas.
Forecast models show upwards of half a foot of rain over the next five days is possible along and east of Interstate 95, from north of Miami through Charleston, South Carolina.
“If it develops into a tropical storm or not, we will see a very gusty couple of days along the Southeast coastline. It certainly is not going to be a beach week or a fishing week,” Lewis said.
DeSantis said his officials are working with emergency management authorities across the state’s 67 counties to “identify potential resource gaps and to implement plans that will allow the state to respond quickly and efficiently,” according to a press statement.
Hurricane Ian became the deadliest in Florida since 1935, claiming at least 127 lives and causing widespread damage across Cuba, Florida and South Carolina. At one point 2.3m people in the Sunshine state were without power after Ian hit, and estimates of how much damage it caused were as high as $50bn.
Hurricanes in Florida are rare in November, with the last one to strike being Hurricane Kate on November 21, 1985.
