Hurricane Nicole Forms; Florida Awaits Rare November Storm

A Florida-bound storm strengthened into Hurricane Nicole on Wednesday after pounding the Bahamas and state officials ordered evacuations that included former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club.

It’s a rare November hurricane for storm-weary Florida, where only two hurricanes have made landfall since recordkeeping began in 1853 — the 1935 Yankee Hurricane and Hurricane Kate in 1985.

At 6 p.m. EST, the storm was 105 miles (170 kilometers) east of West Palm Beach, Florida, the Miami-based National Hurricane Center said. Its maximum sustained winds were recorded at 75 mph (120 kph), and the system was moving west at 12 mph (19 kph).

A storm surge was expected that could further erode many beaches that were hit by Hurricane Ian in September.

The storm was expected to make landfall in Florida on Wednesday night before heading into Georgia and the Carolinas later Thursday and Friday. It was expected to dump heavy amounts of rain across the region.