Jan Wesner Childs
Mandatory evacuations have been issued in parts of Florida as Tropical Storm Nicole tracks toward the state's Atlantic coast.
Volusia, Flagler and Palm Beach all announced mandatory evacuations of certain residents and areas on Tuesday.
“Tropical Storm Nicole poses a direct threat to property and life,” Volusia County Manager George Recktenwald said in a news release. “Our infrastructure, especially along the coastline, is extremely vulnerable because of Hurricane Ian’s impacts. We expect further erosion along the beach, along with flooding in areas that were previously flooded by Ian. Residents need to take this storm seriously.”
Palm Beach County Mayor Robert Weinroth in an afternoon news briefingannounced evacuation orders for residents in zones A and B, which includes barrier islands, places prone to flooding and vulnerable structures. More than 50,000 residents live in mobile homes and about 60,000 on barrier islands, WPBF-TV reported.
More orders are coming. Kevin Guthrie, Florida's director of emergency management, told The Weather Channel that mandatory evacuations will also be issued for parts of Volusia County.
Meanwhile, school districts across Florida are canceling classes and residents in other areas are being advised to evacuate voluntarily.
At least 10 districts had called off classes for all or part of the rest of the week as of Tuesday afternoon. They include: Brevard, Glades, Indian River, Lake, Martin, Okeechobee, Osceola, Palm Beach, Seminole and St. Lucie.
Brevard County, on the Space Coast about an hour east of Orlando, recommends the following residents evacuate: Anyone living on the barrier islands, in manufactured or mobile homes, in low-lying areas prone to flooding and those with medical needs dependent on electricity.
(MORE: The Latest Forecast, Watches And Warnings For Nicole)
St. Lucie, farther south on the Atlantic coast, is advisingresidents on barrier islands and those living in low-lying areas or mobile homes to evacuate. Similar advice is being put out by neighboring Indian River County.
"We are going to do voluntary evacuations at this time based on the conditions," Indian River County spokesperson Kathy Copeland told weather.com in a phone call Tuesday afternoon.
Beaches in Indian River County are being closed, and recreation facilities shut down. Shelters will open at Vero Beach High and Treasure Coast Elementary.
Thirty-four counties in Florida are under a state of emergency due to the potential of flooding and other impacts from Nicole.
Business owners in Cocoa Beach, Florida, board up windows ahead of Tropical Storm Nicole on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022. Cocoa Beach is in Brevard County, on Florida's Atlantic coast.Many of those areas are still recovering from Hurricane Ian. The storm's worst damage was in Lee County on the southern Gulf Coast, but deadly and destructive flooding happened across the state, including along the Atlantic Coast where officials are advising residents to remain alert.
“Now is the time to start making preparations,” Kevin Captain, director of community information for Volusia County, said in a Monday news briefing.
“If you live on the coast we strongly recommend that you make your final preparations today then move to a safer location when possible, or as soon as possible.”
Volusia County's coastline was heavily damaged by Ian in September. Dunes and seawalls were washed out, leaving many buildings vulnerable to storm surge and high surf. Inland flooding and wind, meanwhile, damaged dozens of homes.
"If you're worried about the structural integrity of your house, I'd urge you to find shelter elsewhere," Jessica Fentress, the county's coastal division director said at the briefing.
“This is a compounding storm event. Where the damages you already start off with, you may have more damages tonight, you might have even more damage tomorrow and you may have even more damages the following day.”
The county has plans to open at least two shelters if necessary. Residents up and down the coast are being warned to beware of dangerous rip currents and high surf.
(MORE: Nicole Maps Tracker, Spaghetti Models, Forecast Path, Wind Speeds And More)
Ron Guerrero, director of public safety in St. Lucie County, said those on barrier islands need to especially be ready for the possibility of coastal flooding.
"We want to be prepared for those residents out there to take the necessary precautions," Guerrero told weather.com in a phone call Monday afternoon.
Besides Indian River, St. Lucie and Volusia, other counties under the state of emergency include: Brevard, Broward, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Miami-Dade, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter, and Volusia.
The state of emergency includes inland areas along the St. Johns River, which flows north from Indian River County to Jacksonville. The river hasn't dropped below flood stagesince Hurricane Ian.
(MORE: Seven Things Florida Newcomers Should Know About Hurricane Season)
Nicole transitioned into a tropical storm Tuesday morning, but what the storm is called matters little when it comes to preparations. Some areas could see up to 5 feet of storm surge and multiple inches of rain.
"No matter whether Nicole strikes Florida as a tropical storm or a Category 1 hurricane, it will bring widespread impacts to the state," said weather.com senior digital meteorologist Chris Dolce. "Florida's East coast can expect significant coastal flooding, major beach erosion, tropical-storm-force winds and locally heavy rainfall."
Now is the time to secure any loose objects and stay away from beaches or low-lying areas that are prone to flooding, and make sure hurricane kits are well stocked with water, food and fresh batteries.
NASA is also keeping a close eye on the storm. The Artemis 1 mission is scheduled for liftoff on Monday, but the rocket is already on the launch pad. There are currently no plans to roll it back indoors, Florida Today reported.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 launch scheduled for Tuesday has been pushed to the weekend.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
No comments:
Post a Comment