MIAMI (AP) – Officials said Hurricane Nicole made landfall early Thursday along the east coast of Florida, just south of Vero Beach, as it continued to battered a large area of the storm-weary state with strong winds, dangerous storm surge and heavy rain.
The rare November hurricane had already led officials to shut down airports and theme parks and order evacuations that included former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club. Authorities warned that Nicole’s storm surge could further erode many beaches hit by Hurricane Ian in September.
The sprawling storm is then forecast to head into Georgia and the Carolinas later Thursday and Friday, dumping heavy rain across the region. Nicole is expected to weaken while moving across Florida and the southeastern United States through Friday.
