Nicole pounding Florida, inching closer

Nicole is expected to become a hurricane Wednesday before landfall near Palm Beach, Fla., late tonight. This blog will be updated all day as information becomes available.

As Hurricane Nicole inches closer to Florida, the winds have started to become stronger pushing in more water onshore. Heavier rain bands are affecting parts of Central Florida. The same areas that received over 12 inches of rain with Hurricane Ian are now being pounded with Nicole's heavy rain bands. Some lakes east of Orlando, are now under a flood warning as levels will continue to rise overnight.

Nicole continues to move west at about 13 mph but a turn toward the west-northwest is expected tonight, followed by a turn toward the northwest on Thursday, and north or north-northeast on Friday. The hurricane is bringing dangerous storm surge even across parts of South Florida, such as Hallandale Beach in Broward County, with reports of seawater flowing through seating and walkways parallel to the beach.

Tornadoes will be possible across the extreme eastern fringe of Florida, from Palm Bar to Daytona Beach, including the Orlando area as some rainbands could have embedded thunderstorms that could spin a tornado or two. Make sure to have at least 3 ways of receiving weather alerts.

Hurricane watch has been canceled for Broward County. There could still be tropical storm-force winds affecting this county and stronger winds north of it. In fact, the National Hurricane Center has noted that 57 counties or zones in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina are still in a tropical storm warning until further notice.

Some coastal areas of west Florida, almost the entire east coast of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina are also under a storm surge watch or warning. Water will continue to come onshore as Nicole comes closer to land. This will be an event that will continue overnight into Thursday.

By early Friday morning, Nicole should be over Georgia either a weak tropical storm or tropical depression, still producing torrential rains in its path.

Several homes and buildings are compromised along Florida's east coast. Specifically, Volusia County is having a tough time keeping beachfront homes and buildings in their place. Several sea walls were damaged by Hurricane Ian and Nicole's large wind field is making the situation worse or completely washing out sea walls.

Our colleague, Jonathan Petramala witnessed how Volusia County officials brought a tractor to place rocks in front of a beachfront home to try to save it from catastrophic erosion happening.

Although the storm is over 100 miles away from the southeast coast, and more than 250 miles away from the east-central Florida coast, the weather is already making the big headlines. Flooding is occurring and leaving many stuck. High-water rescues will start shortly in Volusia County.

Nicole has officially become a hurricane. Hurricane Hunters found maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and higher gusts. The hurricane is moving west at 12 mph and it is about 105 miles east of West Palm Beach. Nicole also makes its second landfall, this time on Grand Bahama Island.

Nicole's eye is coming over Grand Bahama as it continues to move toward the Florida east coast. Heavier rainbands will enter the coast within the next couple of hours and conditions will worsen quickly as the strongest winds will also approach.

Structures in Daytona Beach Shores have been reported to crumble as the seas have been violently crashing the coast all day, causing major beach erosion, weakening the ground, and reaching the buildings.

Nicole continues to hold maximum sustained winds of 70 mph as it moves west at 13 mph. Hurricane Hunters have been flying the storm during the afternoon and Nicole's structure does not seem to have changed much. Still, Nicole is expected to strengthen as it moves over warm Bahamian waters.

Nicole is expected to make landfall late tonight, likely near Port Saint Lucie in Port St. Lucie County. Impacts have already started to occur along parts of the East Coast of Florida and weather will continue to deteriorate across the coast and inland locations as Nicole comes closer to Florida. Rains will become more intense and the winds will increase.

Storm surge warnings extend from Boca Raton to southeastern Georgia as Nicole approaches eastern Florida. Storm surge up to 5 feet on top of high tide levels is expected and is already moving in.

Nicole's massive wind field has produced pounding waves causing extensive damage before the storm even arrives. Landfall is expected overnight tonight.

Nicole is now moving over the northwest Bahamas as a strong tropical storm. Sustained winds are still holding at 70 mph with higher gusts.

Florida's governor, Ron DeSantis, has declared a state of emergency to help residents prepare and respond to Nicole as landfall is expected overnight Wednesday into Thursday.

Nicole has officially made landfall in the northwest Bahamas on Abaco Island as of 11:55 a.m. EST.

Our colleague, Jonathan Petramala, is on the east Florida coast documenting the conditions as Nicole approaches before a late-night landfall. Winds are gusting to tropical storm force already due to Nicole's size.

Now is the time to finalize preparations, especially since the sun sets around 5:30 p.m. Monitor updates from local emergency management, especially if you are in an evacuation zone.

Impacts are already being felt across Florida's east coast. Waves up to 30 feet are expected as Nicole's strong winds hit the water surface. Dangerous surf and rip currents are expected these next couple of days. Stay out of and away from the water.

Meteorologist Becca Parker just went live on Facebook going over the Nicole situation. Tune in below!

Weather & Radar Meteorologist Becca Parker will be going live on Facebook around 10:30 a.m. EST.

Nicole sits just on the eastern edge of the northwestern Bahamas this morning as a high-end tropical storm with sustained winds at 70 mph where it is expected to become a category 1 hurricane by this afternoon as it moves west.

Nicole is very large, to say the least. Tropical storm force winds extend more than 450 miles out from the center. This explains why much of Florida, excluding the far southwest and western Panhandle, is under either a hurricane warning or a tropical storm warning.

Rain from Nicole's outer bands are already reaching Florida's east coast. View it here on the WeatherRadar.