Still reeling from Hurricane Ian, Florida is bracing to be hit by a recent 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 can keep strengthening and will change into 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 begin to have rain move over the Bahamas. Then on Wednesday, a few of that rain will start to maneuver into places like Orlando and Miami. So, it’ll be definitely something to look at,” said FOX Weather Meteorologist Kiyana Lewis.
Forecasts predict heavy winds reaching as much as at the least 40 mph for beaches from Florida to North Carolina throughout the storm, which can affect bridge driving and could lead on to power outages.
While the storm just isn’t predicted to be as devastating as Category 4 Ian – which ripped a path on destruction on Florida’s West Coast at Cape Coral as much as Orlando before weakening — many rivers within the state are still at high levels from the previous storm and heavy rainfall could lead on to more flooding, particularly in low-lying areas.
Forecast models show upwards of half a foot of rain over the subsequent five days is feasible along and east of Interstate 95, from north of Miami through Charleston, South Carolina.
“If it develops right into a tropical storm or not, we are going to see a really gusty couple of days along the Southeast coastline. It definitely just isn’t 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 “discover potential resource gaps and to implement plans that can allow the state to reply quickly and efficiently,” in keeping with a press statement.
Hurricane Ian became the deadliest in Florida since 1935, claiming at the least 127 lives and causing widespread damage across Cuba, Florida and South Carolina. At one point 2.3m people within 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.