JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Tropical Storm Nicole continues to gain strength as its track aims toward Florida’s east coast. CLICK HERE FOR WEDNESDAY, NOV. 9 LIVE UPDATES
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9:00 p.m., 11/8/22
Here are the latest updates on Nicole from Chief Meteorologist Mike Buresh:
- No direct Nicole impacts through tonight into midday Wed.
- Direct impacts begin by late Wed. & will continue through Thu. into early Fri.
- Heavy rain, wind, rough seas/surf, flooding, a few tornadoes/waterspouts
- Improving conditions by Fri., especially in the afternoon/evening
For Jacksonville/NE Fl./SE Ga. specifically (given *current* forecast of ‘Nicole’ with improving conditions from west to east & south to north from Fri. afternoon through the weekend):
* Strong onshore flow will continue & become even stronger this week with life threatening rip currents & dangerous overall marine conditions.
* Surf & breakers reaching double digits & - at times - will be 12+ feet along area beaches Wed. & 15+ feet Thu., only slowly subsiding Fri. Seas will be 20+ feet & extremely rough just offshore. All marine craft should remain in port & secure vessels & equipment.
* Storm Surge will average 3-5 feet along the coast & the St. Johns River. If your property experienced flooding during Ian 6 weeks ago or Irma (2017), the flooding is probably from Nicole.
* St. Johns River - Potentially significant dock & shoreline damage Wed. - Fri.
* Beach erosion will become heavy to severe - a critical facet of the storm considering the recent damage from Ian
* Winds - BEACHES/INTRACOASTAL/ST. JOHNS RIVER - Wed.: increasing to 30-40 mph with 50+ mph gusts... Thu.: peak at 40-60 mph with 70+ mph gusts... Fri.: shifting to offshore - out of the west at 20-30 mph with higher gusts... much lighter winds by Fri. night/Sat.
INLAND (NEAR/WEST OF I-95) - Wed.: 15-25 mph with 30+ mph gusts... Thu.: peak at 30-50 mph with a few 60+ mph gusts... Fri.: shifting to out of the west then northwest through the day at 20-40 mph, higher gusts in the morning, gradually diminishing through the afternoon/evening.
* Rainfall will average 2-4″+ along the coast... 1-3″+ inland
* Flooding will be a daily threat at the beaches, especially at high tide - becoming more significant with each day through this week. There will also be an astronomical boost due to the full moon phase (each phase of the moon is ~2 1/2 days in duration) which begins Tue. Ponding & - eventually flooding - will also occur along the St. Johns River & its tributaries.
* As Nicole moves south then west of Jacksonville while turning northward, there will be a tornado & waterspout threat late Wed. & especially Wed. night/Thu. into early Fri. across NE Fl. & SE Ga.
* Inland impacts are likely to be realized Wed. night through midday Fri. in the form of wind, rain, flooding & tornadoes BUT WILL BE DEPENDENT ON EXACT TRACK & STRENGTH OF THE STORM.
6:31 p.m., 11/8/22
St. Johns County has issued a voluntary evacuation effective at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9, for coastal St. Johns County, which includes the entire City of St. Augustine, the City of St. Augustine Beach, and those living on waterfront property or flood-prone areas. This voluntary evacuation order will remain in place for the duration of the storm event. For evacuation information, including route maps and evacuation zones, please visit www.sjcfl.us/hurricane.
Residents living aboard boats and those living in RVs, mobile homes, and manufactured homes throughout St. Johns County are also advised to evacuate. Residents who would like to evacuate and are not utilizing a St. Johns County shelter should begin evacuating as soon as possible to avoid traffic congestion.
St. Johns County will open two shelters starting at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 9. The County is prepared to open additional shelters as needed. The following shelters will be open to the public:
- Health and Human Services Department (Special Medical Needs) 200 San Sebastian View, St. Augustine
- Solomon Calhoun Community Center (General Population and Pet-Friendly) 1300 Duval Street, St. Augustine
5:56 p.m., 11/8/22
NASA is continuing to monitor Tropical Storm Nicole and has decided to re-target a launch for the Artemis I mission for Wednesday, Nov. 16, pending safe conditions for employees to return to work, as well as inspections after the storm has passed. Adjusting the target launch date will allow the workforce to tend to the needs of their families and homes, and provide sufficient logistical time to get back into launch status following the storm. MORE DETAILS in NASA’s blog
5:15 p.m., 11/8/22
Putnam County is currently recommending evacuations for Zone F, which includes Sportsmans Harbor, Dunns Creek, Federal Point, and other locations that experienced flooding during Hurricane Ian.
Shelters will be opening at 6 pm on Wednesday, November 9. The shelter locations opening will be:
- Middleton-Burney Elementary School, 1020 Huntington Rd., Crescent City
- Browning-Pearce Elementary School, 100 Marvick St., San Mateo
- Ochwilla Elementary School, 299 State Road 21, Hawthorne (This is the county’s pet-friendly shelter)
- Kelley Smith Elementary School, 141 Kelly Smith School Rd,. Palatka (This is the special needs shelter. Residents must be registered with the Putnam County Department of Health. To apply for registration, citizens can visit snr.putnam-fl.com.)
The Emergency Operations Center Call Center will begin operating at 8 a.m. Wednesday, November 9. The call center phone number is 386-329-1904.
Tropical Storm Nicole: Closed locations and canceled events as storm nears Northeast Florida
4:40 p.m., 11/8/22
As of the 4 p.m. update, Tropical Storm Nicole strengthened slightly and is forecast to become a hurricane tomorrow before making landfall on Florida’s east coast Wednesday overnight into Thursday morning.
Winds are up to 65 mph, which is a slight increase. The storm is less than 400 miles off Florida’s east coast, approaching at 10 mph. Nicole is slowly becoming more organized.
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3:26 p.m., 11/8/22
Putnam County School District said its schools will be closed on Thursday, November 10. All after-school and athletic activities are cancelled at the end of the school day tomorrow, November 9th. Friday, November 11 is a scheduled student and staff holiday for Veterans Day. PCSD expects to have all schools open for students on Monday, November 14. We will keep everyone updated regarding possible make-up time for students.
The following shelters will be open for the community beginning Wednesday, November 9th at 6 p.m.:
- Ochwilla Elementary School
- Kelley Smith Elementary School
- Browning-Pearce Elementary School
- Middleton-Burney Elementary School
Action News Jax has reached out to other local school districts about their plans and will share those updates as soon as we get them.
Nicole: Northeast Florida, Southeast Georgia school closure information
1:40 p.m., 11/8/22:
Below is what can be expected of the storm based on the current forecast:
- Strong onshore flow will continue and become stronger this week with life threatening rip currents and dangerous marine conditions.
- Breakers are expected to reach double digits and at times will be 12+ feet along area beaches from Wed. through Fri. Sea waves will be 20+ feet & extremely rough just offshore.
- St. Johns River flooding could cause potentially significant dock & shoreline damage Wed. through Fri.
- Highest winds expected to reach 70+ miles per hour on Thursday.
- Rainfall will average 2-4″+ along the coast and 1-3″+ inland.
- Flooding will be a daily threat at the beaches, especially at high tide and become more significant with each day through this week. There will also be an astronomical boost due to the full moon phase, which begins Tue.
- Inland impacts are likely to be realized Wed. night through midday Fri. in the form of wind, rain, flooding and tornadoes, but this will be dependent on the exact track and strength of the storm.
See “Talking the Tropics with Mike” for more details.
8:45 a.m., 11/8/22:
State leaders are reminding residents to fill their prescriptions before Nicole impacts the state.
Storm damage and power outages may prevent people from refilling prescriptions after the storm hits.
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12:41 p.m., 11/7/22:
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 34 Florida counties in the potential path of Subtropical Storm Nicole, including five Northeast Florida counties.
Clay, Duval, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns counties are listed in the governor’s Executive Order (EO) 22-253.
DeSantis has issued the EO in an abundance of caution so that communities can prepare and families and businesses can create a plan and gather necessary resources in the event that Subtropical Storm Nicole gains in strength.
Counties under a State of Emergency are:
- Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, and Volusia
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