Hurricane Nicole made landfall on the Atlantic coast of Florida, meteorologists said Thursday, becoming the first hurricane to hit the United States in November for 40 years – sparking mandatory evacuation orders.
The Category 1 hurricane, a rare occurrence this late in the year, comes just weeks after Florida was battered by the deadly Hurricane Ian, one of the most powerful storms to hit the United States.
Nicole was packing sustained maximum winds of up to 75 miles per hour – with even stronger gusts – and made landfall ‘along the east coast of Florida just south of Vero Beach,’ the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in a statement Thursday at 0800 GMT. Waves are expected to flood streets and batter coastal structures.
Before landfall, dramatic footage already showed waves crunching into piers across the eastern coast – sending wooden shards spiraling into the sea.
The storm had passed over the Bahamas on Wednesday, with the level of destruction not immediately clear.
A hurricane warning was in effect for Florida’s eastern coast from the city of Boca Raton to the boundary between Flagler and Volusia counties, the NHC said.
Forty-five of the state’s 67 counties were under a state of emergency, Governor Ron DeSantis said, while four counties were under mandatory evacuation orders, according to the state’s Division of Emergency Management.
DeSantis said 16,000 people had been recruited to respond to power outages following the storm and 600 national guardsmen had been activated.
Nicole becomes the first hurricane to hit the US in November in nearly 40 years, and only the third in history to make landfall in Florida that month. The last storms to hit the panhandle at this time of the year were Hurricane Kate in 1985, and Hurricane Eloise in 1975.
Waters could surge up to four feet, with coastal towns at risk for wash-outs and severe flooding. Up to six inches of rain are expected to fall as the storm moves across the state.
The devastating storm comes barely a month after Hurricane Ian ravaged Florida and left 130 people dead.
A wave smashes into a pier at Deerfield Beach in Florida on Wednesday night. The surge is expected to reach up to four feet
Water flooded a back porch of a Hollywood, Florida, home on Wednesday evening (pictured)
Heavy winds are seen shaking the palm trees in Florida as the state braces for a Category 1 hurricane
Police block off MacArthur Boulevard on Hutchinson Island as conditions deteriorate as the hurricane nears a second landfall
Left: A night view from NOAA of Hurricane Nicole early morning Thursday. Right: Another satellite image of the hurricane
High-powered winds test the palm trees in Jensen Beach and whip water around as Hurricane Nicole nears
Despite the mandatory evacuation orders, Donald Trump will stay in his beloved Mar-A-Lago mansion despite a mandatory evacuation order. Several counties, including Palm Beach, have ordered mandatory evacuations.
The former president is said to not be leaving his Mar-A-Lago mansion, despite residing in Palm Beach County, an adviser told the Washington Post. His club has reportedly been closed in preparation for the hurricane and the Trump family is preparing for his daughter Tiffany’s weather to billionaire heir Michael Boulos.
Mar-a-Lago is built about a quarter-mile inland from the ocean. The main buildings sit on a small rise that is about 15 feet above sea level and the property has survived numerous stronger hurricanes since it was built nearly a century ago. The resort’s security office hung up Wednesday when an Associated Press reporter asked whether the club was being evacuated and there was no sign of evacuation by Wednesday afternoon.
There is no penalty for ignoring an evacuation order, but rescue crews will not respond if it puts their members at risk.
The announcement came just a day after Trump’s ‘red wave’ failed to dominate the Midterm Elections, as many of his nominations failed to pull out in the polls. However, Trump still considered the midterms to be a ‘very big victory.’
‘While in certain ways yesterday’s election was somewhat disappointing, from my personal standpoint it was a very big victory – 219 WINS and 16 Losses in the General – Who has ever done better than that?’ he said on his Truth Social platform.
Strong waves roll up toward Jensen Beach, Florida, (pictured) as the hurricane approaches on Wednesday
The powerful storm is currently moving at 13mph with maximum sustained winds of 75mph with high gusts as it hit the Bahamas (pictured). It is not expected to weaken in strength as it approaches the US coastline
High and destructive waves are seen along the Bahamas’ coastline (pictured)
The Bahamas can expect high wind gusts and water surges and lots of rainfall as the hurricane moves toward Florida
High waves were seen hitting a dock as Hurricane Nicole slammed into the Bahamas
Waves slam into a pier in Daytona, Florida, as Hurrican Nicole approaches on Wednesday
Tropical storm winds are expected to effect a 500 mile area around the hurricane (pictured)
Florida will largely experience tropical-storm-force winds, while Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia will experience lesser winds
Residential buildings already damaged by Hurricane Ian and now threatened by Nicole. At some locations, authorities went door-to-door telling people to grab their possessions and leave.
Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort announced they likely would not open as scheduled Thursday.
Palm Beach International Airport closed Wednesday morning, and Daytona Beach International Airport said it would suspend operations. Orlando International Airport, the seventh busiest in the U.S., also closed.
Farther south, officials said Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and Miami International Airport experienced some flight delays and cancellations but both planned to remain open.
At a news conference in Tallahassee, Gov. Ron DeSantis said that winds were the biggest concern and significant power outages could occur, but that 16,000 linemen were on standby to restore power as well as 600 guardsmen and seven search and rescue teams.
‘It will affect huge parts of the state of Florida all day,’ DeSantis said of the storm’s expected landing.
Almost two dozen school districts were closing schools for the storm and 15 shelters had opened along Florida’s east coast, the governor said.
Forty-five of Florida’s 67 counties were under a state of emergency declaration.
Warnings and watches were issued for many parts of Florida, including the southwestern Gulf coastline that was devastated by Hurricane Ian, which struck as a Category 4 storm Sept. 28. The storm destroyed homes and damaged crops, including orange groves, across the state. – damage that many are still dealing with.
Daniel Brown, a senior hurricane specialist at the Miami-based National Hurricane Center, said the storm would affect a large part of the state.
‘Because the system is so large, really almost the entire east coast of Florida except the extreme southeastern part and the Keys is going to receive tropical storm force winds,’ he said.
Early Wednesday, President Joe Biden declared an emergency in Florida and ordered federal assistance to supplement state, tribal and local response efforts to the approaching storm. The Federal Emergency Management Agency is still responding to those in need from Hurricane Ian.
Hurricane Ian brought storm surge of up to 13 feet in late September, causing widespread destruction.
Hurricane Nicole caused flooding in Turtle Cay in the Bahamas, as the crystal blue water was seen pouring over boardwalks, flooding parking lots, and water level rise to meet front porches. However, it is expected to weaken in strength after making landfall in Florida and continue to lose strength throughout Thursday and Friday.
‘It is likely to become a post-tropical cyclone by Friday afternoon,’ the National Hurricane Center reported.
Hurricane-force winds are said to extend around 10 miles from the hurricane’s center and tropical-storm-force winds extend almost 500 miles.
Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina are under tropical storm warnings into Thursday and and ‘normally dry areas near the coast’ are expected to be flooded by rising waters moving inland.
North Palm Beach to Altamaha South, Georgia, can expect around three to five feet at high tide. Other areas from Florida to North Carolina can expect one to five feet. The Bahamas can also expect a surge.
Disneyland parkgoers covered up in ponchos and umbrellas as they enjoyed the Happiest Place on Earth on Wednesday
A homeowner stacked a bunch of sandbags near the back of his home in the area the was heavily washed away during Hurricane Ian
Large waves crash into a structure on Cocoa Beach in Florida as heavy winds and water surges cause flooding and damage as Nicole rolls closer
A car drives through rising flood waters in Daytona Beach on Wednesday
A man takes a photo of the flood water in Daytona Beach on Wednesday ahead of the hurricane. Several areas along the coast are under a flood warning
Two men struggle through the surf on the Dania Beach Pier on Wednesday as Florida already begins to flood
Despite the Category 1 storm nearing, residents of Jensen Beach stop to take photos of the unhappy ocean
‘Storm surge could raise water levels by as much as four to six feet above normal tide levels along the immediate coast of the northwestern Bahamas in areas of onshore winds,’ the National Hurricane Center said.
Alongside surges, residents can expect ‘large and destructive waves’ and rain is expected to fall through Saturday.
The Bahamas and the Florida Peninsula can expect three to eight inches of rain. Flash flood could be ‘possible’ in the area throughout Thursday.
Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio can expect between two and four inches, with a maximum of six inches. New England can expect one to four inches.
Despite being hours away from landfall, Florida is already feeling the effects of Hurricane Nicole.
Residents living along the coast and in flood-prone areas from Palm Beach County to Volusia County have been ordered to evacuate ahead of a potential touchdown from the hurricane.
Trump (pictured on Tuesday) will reportedly say in his Mar-A-Lago mansion throughout the hurricane, despite Palm Beach County being ordered to perform a mandatory evacuation
In a Truth social post on Wednesday afternoon, Trump celebrated the midterms as a ‘very big victory,’ the despite the ‘red wave’ failing to dominate the polls
His mansion (pictured) is in a mandatory evacuation zone, alongside several other counties in the area
Dark seas were seeming to force near Mar-A-Lago earlier on Wednesday (pictured)
Residents have spent the last couple of days rushing to stock up on gas and essentials as they prepare for the worst.
Officials in Volusia, which is located near Orlando, said the hurricane will likely cause severe damage to the area, which is still recovering from Hurricane Ian.
The evacuation areas in Palm Beach cover the county’s zones A and B, which includes barrier islands, low-lying areas, and mobile home communities, and was issued on Election Day – with rain and winds already seen in the Southeast part of the state are not expected to affect any voting sites.
Also included in the evacuation notice, issued by County Mayor Robert Weinroth at a 2pm news conference on Tuesday, was nearly all of the county’s coastline – home to several beachside locales in cities such as Boca Raton and Boynton Beach.
As of 7pm, the hurricane was roughly 100 miles outside of West Palm Beach and is expected to hit Florida between 1-4am
Local restaurant have already begun to board up storefronts to protect it as much as possible head of the hurricane, some even customizing it with sweet ‘stay safe’ messages
Via Newsome also boarded up its storefront on Wednesday as residents expect the hurricane to cause damages
Luxury store Intermix started stacking sandbags outside its glass storefront on Wednesday
Chanel also started to stack sandbags in preparation for the hurricane
An art museum covered up structures in plastic to help prevent water damage if the building floods on Wednesday
Two shop owners worked together to board up their café in Stuart, Florida, on Wednesday
The evacuations, which go into effect 7am Wednesday, applies to nearly 120,000 residents – 52,000 of them living in mobile homes throughout the county and 67,000 along the coast, officials warned during the conference.
The county has since closed all 236 of its public school and announced that shelters will open at seven of them in their stead once the evacuation is underway. In total, nine shelters will be available for the public to use.
The area at the most risk is the northeastern part of the county, which includes West Palm Beach. However, officials have also issued a hurricane warning extending from Palm Beach County all the way up to Volusia County, near Orlando.
Residents were seen stocking up on bulk items at BJs – a wholesale store – carting around toilet paper and water, as well as, snacks and cat litter.
They loaded up their cars in the pouring rain ahead of the hurricane.
Florida residents were seen stocking up on essentials on Monday evening ahead of the hurricane. Several counties have now issued mandatory evacuations as Nicole strengthened into a Category 1
Residents (pictured on Monday) braved torrential rains Monday night to stock up on supplies ahead of Nicole’s expected landfall early Thursday morning
Rain, rain, go away! Marla Maples helps her daughter Tiffany Trump with last-minute plans for her Mar-a-Lago wedding to Michael Boulos – as Tropical Storm Nicole barrels toward Florida – after she and Melania celebrated together at bride’s Miami shower
By Erica Nardozzi for DailyMail.com
Marla Maples is hoping for some sunshine as Tropical Storm Nicole barrels toward Florida’s east coast just days before her daughter Tiffany Trump is set to marry billionaire heir Michael Boulos at her family’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach.
The actress, 59, took to Instagram Stories on Wednesday to share a video of the wind whipping through palm trees as rain pounded down on the beach. She appeared to be in Miami, where Tiffany and Michael live full-time.
The tropical storm is expected to become a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall later tonight. Marla, ever the optimist, set the footage to ‘Here Comes the Sun’ by the Beatles ahead of her daughter’s nuptials on Saturday, November 12.
‘Welcome to the pre-wedding,’ she wrote in the on-screen text.
Just a few days before, Marla shared on Instagram that she was in Miami to help Tiffany, 29, and Michael, 25, with the final stages of planning.
‘We’ve got a lot of balls in the air with last minute prep for Tiff and Michael’s wedding,’ she captioned the image, which shows her sporting a lilac purple tennis dress and tossing a ball in the air.
Tiffany became one step closer to being Mrs. Boulos when she celebrated her bridal shower in Miami last weekend
Tiffany flashed her 13-carat engagement ring that is believed to be worth up to a staggering $1.2million
‘Blessing time… breathing through all of it and remembering to put God in the center,’ she added. ‘I remember when I used to have time for tennis.’
The proud mom concluded her post on Monday with the hashtags #tennis, #momofthebride, #theluckyfam, and #lovefirst.
Marla was by Tiffany’s side when she celebrated her upcoming nuptials at her bridal shower, which took place in Miami over the weekend. She shared snapshots from the lavish event on her Instagram Stories on Monday night, including images of herself posing with her daughter.
The bride-to-be was also joined by her father’s side of the family, including her stepmother, former First Lady Melania Trump; her sister, Ivanka Trump; her brother Eric Trump’s wife, Lara; and her brother Donald Trump Jr.’s fiancée, Kimberly Guilfoyle.
Lara brought her three-year-old daughter, Carolina, who wore a white lace dress just like her aunt.
Tiffany opted for an elegant pencil dress that featured cut-outs at the waist and puffed-shoulder sleeves.
She kept her accessories to a minimum, leaving her wrists and neck free from jewelry aside from her impressive 13-carat diamond engagement ring.
Sisters-in-law Ivanka and Lara had a bit of an awkward moment when they both arrived at the shower wearing nearly identical floral dresses from Reformation, but they didn’t let the fashion faux pas stop them from enjoying the event.
Marla and Tiffany enjoyed an impromptu mother-daughter photo shoot in front of the water
Tiffany couldn’t help but laugh as someone filmed them while they took photos together
They both beamed for the camera as they posed for a photo with Tiffany standing between them.
‘Ivanka Trump and I did not plan these dresses,’ Lara joked while sharing the snap on her Instagram Stories.
The former TV producer also took a picture with Kimberly, 53, who wore a pale pink top and a bohemian flower crown that she made at the shower.
Ivanka later posted an image of her family dog, Winter, sporting one of the creations.
The former White House senior adviser paid tribute to her younger sister on Instagram while sharing a photo of herself with Tiffany and Lara, along with a sweet snapshot of her niece Carolina.
‘Back in Florida, celebrating my beautiful, brilliant and kind sister @tiffanytrump at her bridal shower,’ she captioned the post.
Ivanka, who lives in Miami with her husband, Jared Kushner, and their three children, celebrated her birthday on October 30 with trips to Prague and Utah and arrived home in time for the shower.
It doesn’t appear as though any of the Trump men were in attendance, but Tiffany’s close friend Peter Brant was among the many guests who posed for photos with her that day.
Tiffany was treated like a queen and had her own white thrown to sit on during the over-the-top affair, which included stunning floral arrangements, tiered cakes, and a tower of macaroons.
The shower was held at Susan Malzoni’s home, and Marla shared a photo of herself with the hostess.
Tiffany posed between her mother and stepmother during one of the group photos she took that day
The bride-to-be was joined by her sister, Ivanka Trump (right), and her brother Eric Trump’s wife, Lara (left)
‘Thank you so much Susan for opening up your home & your heart for the most special & magical bridal shower for Tiffany,’ the mother of the bride wrote.
Tiffany is Marla’s only child with her ex-husband, Donald Trump, whom she will be reuniting with on her big day.
Donald had been married to his first wife, Ivana Trump, for over a decade and shared three young children with her — Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric — when he started his highly-publicized affair with Marla in 1989.
Ivana, who passed away earlier this year, revealed in her own book, ‘Raising Trump,’ that she realized her marriage was coming to an end when she was confronted by Marla.
‘This young blonde woman approached me out of the blue and said, ‘I’m Marla and I love your husband. Do you?” she recalled. ‘I said, ‘Get lost. I love my husband.”
Donald and Ivana divorced in 1992.
Tiffany was born in October 1993, and her parents married two months later. After four years together, they separated in 1997 and officially divorced in 1999.
Marla relocated to Southern California, where she raised Tiffany as a single mom. She later followed her daughter back to the East Coast when she started college at the University of Pennsylvania.
She spent years living in New York City before she relocated to Florida to be closer to Tiffany and Michael.
Marla never remarried, but Donald went on to tie the knot with his third wife and future first lady, Melania Trump, née Knauss, in 2005. They welcomed their son, Barron, the following year.
The mother of one appears to have a cordial relationship with her ex-husband, and she sat with his family at Tiffany’s graduation from the University of Pennsylvania in 2016.
It doesn’t appear as though any of the Trump men were in attendance, but Tiffany’s close friend Peter Brant was among the many guests who posed for photos with her that day
They likely would have been together at their daughter’s graduation from Georgetown Law School in 2020, but she wasn’t able to receive her diploma in person due to the pandemic.
A few months later, Marla reunited with Tiffany at her ex’s Trump International Hotel in downtown Washington, D.C.
Tiffany and Michael, the heir to the multi-billion dollar Nigerian conglomerate Boulos Enterprises, have been together since they met in Mykonos, Greece, in the summer of 2018.
They were first spotted together at the Taoray Wang show during New York Fashion Week in September 2018, and Tiffany reportedly took him to her father’s Mar-Lago estate for Thanksgiving dinner that year.
The former first daughter shared her first photo with Michael in January 2019, after they attended the White House Christmas party together.
The majority of their relationship was a long-distance one, with Tiffany attending law school at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. while Michael was based in London.
After a year together, they were spotted browsing engagement rings at the Samer Halimeh New York store in London in June 2019, but Tiffany only picked up a $663,000 diamond ‘friendship’ bracelet during the shopping trip.
Michael was a regular fixture on the campaign trail in the run-up to the 2020 presidential election and attended a number of political events with her and her family, including appearances at the White House.
However, he didn’t propose until January 2021, when he got down on one knee in the White House Rose Garden during former President Trump’s final days in office.
Michael popped the question with a 13-carat emerald-cut diamond engagement ring that is believed to be worth up to a staggering $1.2 million.
They have both spent quality time with each other’s families over the years, and Marla has forced a tight bond with Michael’s parents, Massad and Sarah Boulos.
Tiffany skipped her father’s annual New Year’s Eve bash at his Mar-a-Lago last year to spend the holidays in France with her mother and her future in-laws.
