Nicole adds insult to injury for storm-weary Florida residents

"There is a strong potential that one or more buildings will collapse during this storm," said one official.

JENSEN BEACH, Florida (WABC) -- Nicole powered ashore in eastern Florida early Thursday morning, bringing high winds and heavy rain.

The storm arrived as a Category 1 hurricane and quickly weakened back to tropical storm strength.
[Ads /]
But that didn't lessen the impact of the rain and wind for a region that has already been hammered by extreme weather this hurricane season.

Video from Jensen Beach early Thursday showed whipping winds and sheets of rain bending trees and crashing over barriers.

RELATED: See the latest information and updated track for Nicole

Power lines came down, leaving tens of thousands of customers without power in the Treasure Coast area around Palm Beach alone.



Nicole added insult to injury for residents in Daytona Beach, which was hard hit by Hurricane Ian six weeks ago.

Residents there had to be evacuated by law enforcement ahead of Nicole's arrival.

"It's going to get worse before it gets better," said Volusia County Sheriff Michael Chitwood amid the evacuations on Wednesday. "If a building had been declared structurally unsound which is the result of Ian and (the owner) not being able to fix it, people have to take seriously what we're doing. There is a strong potential that one or more buildings will collapse during this storm."

Closer to where the storm was the strongest, on the barrier beach known as Hutchinson Island, properties fared better because the first storm never hit there.

But still, the effects of Nicole are obvious.



County workers spent the day working to replenish the sand that was lost. It's a ritual they usually repeat every three years, but public works manager Jessica Garland says the need is getting much worse.

Unlike Hurricane Ian, though, which killed 130 people, there have been no initial reports of deaths or injuries from Nicole.
[Ads /]


WATCH: Weather Or Not with Lee Goldberg: Winter Weather Outlook


Weather Or Not: Lee Goldberg's winter outlook

MORE ACCUWEATHER RESOURCES
Check AccuTrack Radar
AccuTrack Radar New York City view
NWS Advisories, Watches and Warnings
[Ads /]
School closings and delays
For weather updates wherever you go, please download the AccuWeather app.

Follow meteorologist Lee Goldberg, Sam Champion, Brittany Bell, Jeff Smith, and Dani Beckstrom on social media.


Submit Weather Photos and Videos


Have weather photos or videos to share? Send to Eyewitness News using this form. Terms of use apply.
Copyright © 2024 WABC-TV. All Rights Reserved.