Hurricane Nicole kills 2 in Florida, causes flooding in the Bahamas

Black Immigrant Daily News

Photo: Nicole flattens homes in Florida (Photo: WFTV)

by Khaila Gentle

MIAMI, Florida, Thurs. Nov. 10, 2022

Much like Hurricane Lisa, Hurricane Nicole was a rare November storm. Since making landfall on the coast of Florida early Thursday, it has downgraded to a tropical storm, but not before claiming two lives in the sunshine state.

According to reports from officials, two electrocutions in Orange County—located in the Orlando area—have been attributed to Nicole. A Facebook post from the county’s sheriff’s office reveal that one man and one woman died after coming into contact with a downed power line.

“… deputies found a man who was unresponsive after he exited a vehicle and made contact with a downed live power line. That man was pronounced deceased on scene. A woman traveling with the man was also electrocuted and was transported to the hospital, where she died,” states that post.

Nicole is the first hurricane to hit the US in the month of November in almost 40 years. With heavy rains and tropical storm strength winds extending up to 345 miles away from its center, the storm has caused coastal and river flooding as well as the collapse of several beachside homes, coastal roads, and other infrastructure. Additionally, some 310,000 homes and businesses across the state found themselves without power by Thursday afternoon.

Earlier this year, Hurricane Ian battered the state of Florida. As a result, weakened coastlines were left vulnerable to storm surges caused by Nicole, some of which reached heights of six feet, CNN reports.

Since the storm made landfall, a curfew has been declared for several areas in Florida and all 67 counties in the state are under a state of emergency. Florida’s governor, Ron DeSantis, said that this is “simply because we’re not sure of the extent of the impacts, in Northwest Florida in particular.”

According to DeSantis, 600 National Guard troops have been placed on standby to conduct any necessary search and rescue missions after the weather clears. The rain and wind, as well as a tornado threat, are expected to continue through Thursday in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

In the Bahamas, Nicole forced hundreds to flee their homes, bringing sustained winds of up to 75 miles per hour and causing widespread flooding. The Bahamas Department of Meteorology reported storm surges of almost four feet, with waves flooding at least one road in the nation’s capital, Nassau.

Officials have reported that more than 860 people are in shelters. Nicole is the first storm to hit the Bahamas since 2019’s Dorian—a Category 5 storm.

NewsAmericasNow.com