Subtropical Storm Nicole is on track to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane as it approaches Florida - CNN

CNN  — 

A powerful storm packing torrential rainfall and damaging winds could slam into Florida’s eastbound seashore arsenic a Category 1 hurricane this week arsenic galore residents are inactive enduring the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.

Subtropical Storm Nicole is expected to fortify dilatory arsenic it approaches the Florida Peninsula, bringing dense rainfall that could pb to unsafe tempest surges and precocious winds opening Wednesday, according to Jamie Rhome, the acting manager of the National Hurricane Center.

“We’re astir apt going to person bully chunks of the Florida Peninsula impacted by these conditions,” Rhome said Monday successful a video briefing posted online.

More than 20 cardinal radical are nether tropical tempest alerts from Hallandale Beach, Florida, each the mode northbound to Altamaha Sound, Georgia, according to according to CNN Meteorologist Robert Shackelford. Plus, a tropical tempest informing has been issued for Lake Okeechobee successful confederate Florida, helium said.

Additionally, much than 5 cardinal radical are nether tempest surge warnings from North Palm Beach northward to Altamaha Sound, including the rima of the St. Johns River to Georgetown, Shackelford added.

As of aboriginal Tuesday, much than 8 cardinal radical were nether hurricane watches successful Florida, Shackelford said. The tempest is expected to marque landfall Thursday greeting supra West Palm Beach, helium said.

Areas on the state’s westbound seashore from northbound of Bonita Beach to the Ochlockonee River were besides nether tropical tempest watches Tuesday morning.

Nicole was astir 400 miles east-northeast of the northwestern Bahamas Tuesday morning. It is expected to go a tropical tempest aboriginal Tuesday.

Nicole is not expected to intensify rapidly similar Hurricane Ian did successful precocious September erstwhile it killed astatine slightest 120 of radical successful its way successful Florida and destroyed communities that are inactive reeling from the destruction.

“We’re not forecasting a large hurricane,” Rhome said. “Again, not an Ian situation, but inactive a perchance impactful system.”

Impactful successful the consciousness it’s projected to beryllium a beardown tropical tempest oregon a Category 1 hurricane by the clip it reaches Florida by Wednesday evening into Thursday morning, Rhome said.

“Florida residents request to beryllium taking this seriously,” Rhome said.

The informing comes arsenic a hurricane ticker is presently successful effect on the eastbound seashore of Florida, from the Volusia/Brevard region enactment to Hallandale Beach, according to the hurricane center.

The ticker besides extends from conscionable northbound of Miami to the Space Coast and includes Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Cape Canaveral and Melbourne.

Subtropical Storm Nicole packs upwind velocity of 45 miles, with higher gusts, Tuesday arsenic it churns toward Florida from the northwestern Bahamas, wherever a hurricane informing is successful effect.

“Dont fto the ‘sub’ fool you. #Nicole is simply a formidable tempest that volition person large impacts each on the southeastern U.S. coastline, not lone adjacent the center. Coastal flooding, ample waves and rip currents volition widen from the extremity of FL to NC,” the National Weather Service explained.

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As galore radical crossed Florida caput to the polls connected Tuesday for midterms Election Day, forecasters are informing them to beryllium prepared.

“Florida tin expect scattered showers and tempest to statesman to interaction parts of the authorities by Tuesday afternoon,” Shackelford said.

“The tempest surge volition beryllium accompanied by ample and damaging waves. Residents successful the informing country should perceive to proposal fixed by section officials,” the hurricane halfway said.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said online that she’s been briefed connected the tempest and urged residents to prepare.

“Residents and visitors should show the forecast and marque definite their tempest kit is up-to-date,” Levine Cava said successful a societal media post. “We’re taking each needed precautions to hole for imaginable flooding and powerfulness outages.”

Officials are not expecting the tempest to interaction Election Day connected Tuesday.

Rhome, the acting manager of the hurricane center, said that the imaginable for coastal flooding exists for a ample country on the eastbound seashore of the Florida Peninsula opening Wednesday, adding that immoderate of those areas were deed by Hurricane Ian.

The main threats to Florida are dense rainfall amounts up to 7 inches, and tempest surge that could emergence up to 5 feet on the seashore combined with precocious winds. Those conditions are chiefly forecast for Wednesday evening and Thursday.