Iran Press/ America: The victims were killed by electrocution when they touched downed power lines in the Orlando area.
The rare November hurricane, which made landfall south of Vero Beach early Thursday as a Category 1 storm, was centered about 105 miles north-northwest of Tampa at 4 p.m. The National Hurricane Center warned that Nicole would continue to bring heavy downpours, strong winds, dangerous storm surge, and flooding across a swath of the Southeast over the next couple of days.
Nicole, with tropical-storm-force winds extending outward up to 175 miles from the storm's center, was moving northwest at 15 mph, and forecasters predicted a turn toward the north later Thursday.
The storm was forecast to then move across the Florida Panhandle, Georgia, and the Carolinas into Friday, the National Hurricane Center said. Heavy rain could flood parts of the region.
Warnings and watches were issued for many parts of Florida, including the southwestern Gulf coastline that was devastated by Hurricane Ian when it slammed through as a Category 4 storm on Sept. 28. Ian destroyed homes and damaged crops, including orange groves, across the state – damage that many are still dealing with.
Airports and theme parks have been shut down.
17,000 utility workers are on standby waiting for the storm to pass so they can restore electricity. The state also mobilized 600 National Guardsmen to help with recovery, and 250 crews from the Florida Department of Transportation to inspect and clear roadways and bridges.
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