Nicole Aims at Bahamas, Likely to Reach Florida as Hurricane

Nicole has strengthened into a tropical storm as it bears down on the Bahamas and is expected to become a hurricane before reaching Florida by early Thursday.

The storm was about 350 miles (563 kilometers) northeast of the northwestern Bahamas at 10 a.m. local time with top wind speeds of 50 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Nicole is expected to bring up to 7 inches (18 centimeters) of rain to the Bahamas and portions of Florida, exacerbating flooding caused by Hurricane Ian that made landfall in the state on Sept. 28. Flood threats will also spread into Georgia and South Carolina Thursday.

“Strengthening is likely to commence later today,” Robbie Berg, a senior hurricane specialist at the National Hurricane Center, said in an advisory note. “The NHC intensity forecast continues to show Nicole near or at hurricane strength as it’s moving near the northwestern Bahamas and approaching the est coast of Florida.

The storm is expected to make landfall north of Palm Beach, home to former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Almost all of Florida’s east coast and parts of southern Georgia may face a storm surge that could reach 5 feet as Nicole’s winds push water ashore.

The surge will likely get a boost because tides are higher than normal due to a full moon, according to Jeff Masters, a meteorologist at Yale Climate Connections.

–With assistance from Brian K. Sullivan.