Nicole made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane just south of Vero Beach at 3 a.m. Thursday, with sustained winds around 75 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center. The hurricane had already battered the Bahamas and caused widespread flooding earlier in the week.
The hurricane eventually weakened to a tropical storm and then a tropical depression, but it continues to bring heavy rains to parts of the southeast.
A tornado watch was in place in parts of Florida and Georgia until 1 p.m. Thursday.
This is the second hurricane to hit Florida in six weeks after Hurricane Ian. Parts of Florida are still reeling from the damage wrought by Ian, which tore through the sunshine state’s western coast only six weeks ago.
The depression has been heading north towards Georgia and the Carolinas, where it is expected to continue weakening. Parts of the depression could affect Ohio, New York, and Pennsylvania later this week.
The Daytona Beach News-Journal reported that the evacuations of at least 24 condominiums and hotels have been ordered by local authorities in Daytona Beach Shores who termed these buildings “unsafe.”
The evacuations were ordered after inspections found significant damage that could lead to loss of life, Daytona Beach Shores Mayor Nancy Miller said on Thursday.
County spokesperson Kevin Captain said later that day that 19 hotels and 40 single-family homes were structurally “compromised” by the hurricane.
“There are some buildings that have been partially collapsed and some that need to have an engineering inspection,” Captain added.
Newsweek has contacted Captain for a further update.
Volusia County Manager George Recktenwald anticipated more structures being damaged as a result of Nicole.
“The structural damage along our coastline is unprecedented,” Recktenwald said. “This is going to be a long road to recovery.”
According to the website poweroutage.us, 51,000 homes and businesses are still without power in the sunshine state.
Two people were killed after being electrocuted by a downed power line in Orange County. Two more people were killed in a storm-related incident in Orange County, according to authorities.
Hurricane Nicole even unearthed a potential Native American burial site, authorities said on Thursday evening.
Martin County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy John Budensiek said that six skulls and other smaller bones turned up on Chastain Beach on South Hutchinson Island, north of West Palm Beach, after beachgoers reported the remains.
Budensiek told Newsweek on Thursday that the bones were in “relatively good condition” considering the medical examiner believes them to be at least 200 years old.
He believes they may be the remains of the Ais tribe.
Nicole is the 14th named storm and eighth hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season.
