Tropical Storm Nicole to become a hurricane as it churns toward Florida

Nicole, which formed in the southwestern Atlantic on Monday as a subtropical storm, was packing 65 mph winds Tuesday evening.

A satellite photo provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Subtropical Storm Nicole in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean on November 7, 2022. Nicole is the 14th named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via The New York Times)

Hurricane warnings were issued for the northwestern Bahamas and a 200-mile stretch of the Florida coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm was expected to pass over or near the northwestern Bahamas on Wednesday before approaching the east coast of Florida on Wednesday night, the hurricane center said.

Three to 5 inches of rain were expected across the northwestern Bahamas and much of Florida through Friday. The center warned that up to 8 inches were possible in some locations as the heart of the storm moves across central and northern Florida and into southern Georgia by Thursday night.

Emergency management officials in the Bahamas urged people in the affected areas to evacuate and secure their homes. A dozen emergency shelters opened on the Abaco Islands and 16 on Grand Bahama Island.

In the United States, a hurricane warning was issued for the east coast of Florida, from Boca Raton to the Flagler-Volusia county line. A hurricane watch and tropical storm warning were in effect for other parts of the state, including Lake Okeechobee and from Hallandale Beach to Boca Raton.

The storm is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane as it approaches the Florida Peninsula, said Jamie Rhome, acting director of the hurricane center in Miami.

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida declared a state of emergency Monday for 34 counties that could be in the path of the storm, authorizing the state’s emergency management division to pursue emergency measures and seek federal assistance.

Evacuation orders were issued for parts of Palm Beach County, including barrier islands and low-lying areas. The county’s mayor, Robert Weinroth, said at a news conference that nine emergency shelters would open Wednesday morning.

Officials in Volusia County, which is home to Daytona Beach, also announced mandatory evacuation orders beginning Wednesday morning, including for people who live in mobile homes and in low-lying areas, and for those who live east of Interstate 95 and the Intracoastal Waterway.