Nassau County has lived to tell the tale of Tropical Storm Nicole, which brought with it high tides, flooding, evacuations, local State of Emergencies and winds speeds over 50 mph. First responders kept an eye out, ready to respond when called upon. Nassau County Emergency Management kept residents up-to-date on its website, onenassau.com, where it posts all updates and warnings concerning local emergencies.
Last week Hurricane Nicole became the first hurricane in 40 years to hit the United States in the month of November. The storm made landfall along Florida's eastern shore, knocking out power to thousands, damaging buildings and flooding the coast. Some of the affected areas are still recovering from Hurricane Ian's impact in September. Nicole weakened to a tropical storm as it moved toward the state's west coast and then north into Georgia and the Carolinas.
In a statement from Fernandina Beach City Manager Dale Martin regarding Hurricane Nicole, he said, "The storm was primarily a tidal/surge event. The usual downtown streets flooded as expected, but slightly more than the previous storm, Hurricane Ian — Front Street, Ash, Centre, Alachua, 8th Street, Calhoun, Dade, Escambia. Atlantic Avenue, at Egans Creek, briefly flooded. No structural flood damage has been reported. No damage was observed at the Marina, although the Boater’s Lounge experience minor flooding. The Atlantic Ocean beaches had significant sand movement. In some areas, large amounts of sand were deposited; in others, large amounts of sand were displaced (likely just offshore). City staff met with representatives of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Monday to review the storm impact. No City facilities reported damage (other than minor leaks).