By Nikolai Perebeinos
On November 10th, category 1 Hurricane Nicole hit Florida with speeds up to 100 miles per hour, causing severe damages and power outages. It happened less than two months after the last hurricane, Ian.
Most of the Florida areas experienced heavy rains, floods, and hurricane wind. More than 300,000 homes and businesses state-wide have lost power. In Volusia County, building inspectors found 24 hotels, condos, and 25 single-family homes unsafe and ordered their evacuation. During a news conference, county manager George Recktenwald said, “Structural damage along our coastline is unprecedented. We’ve never experienced anything like this before.” Already estimated property damage in Volusia County exceeds 522 million dollars.
After hitting Florida the hurricane Nicole started to weaken, as it moved north over Georgia. It transitioned into a post tropical cyclone over West Virginia in the afternoon of November 11th. Remains of the Nicole dissipated over Northeastern U.S. and Canadian Maritimes.
At least five people have died as a result of the hurricane. Two people were electrocuted by a downed powerline, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office statement. “Never touch a downed power line,” said the Sheriff’s office. Another two people died in a car crash after a 53-year-old man driving a 2000 Isuzu Hombre lost control. His car hit a tow truck driver standing outside of his vehicle. According to Florida Highway Patrol, both the Hombre driver and truck driver were pronounced dead at the scene. Another casualty of the hurricane was a 68-year-old Port Carnival resident in a docked yacht when the storm struck. His wife called 911, and he was delivered to the hospital, where he died. The cause of death, however, is yet to be determined, according to the Cocoa Police Department.
NASA’s SLS rocket – which will be used for the Artemis program, a human mission to the moon – was scheduled to launch for its first test flight on November 14, but the launch was postponed due to Nicole. Wind speed of 82 mph was recorded atop Launchpad 39B, where SLS was located. Jim Free, associate administrator of the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate at NASA, said that the rocket experienced minor damages, like “loose caulk, and tears in weather coverings.” The damages were insignificant, and the SLS successfully launched at night on November 16th.
The hurricane has also uncovered something that appears to be Native American burial dating hundreds of years at Chastain Beach on South Hutchinson Island. Six skulls, along with other bones, were found by beachgoers.”Our medical examiner’s office is saying that they believe the bones are in excess of 200 years of age,” Sheriff’s Chief Deputy John Budensiek said.
November hurricanes like Nicole are very rare. Ryan Truchelut, a meteorologist and co-founder of WeatherTiger, a private weather broadcaster, says that only 3 hurricanes and 10 tropical storms have struck the U.S. in November, going back as far as 1851. This raises questions whether the increasing activity of late-season hurricanes is related to the climate change bringing warmer waters, says Truchelut.
