Hurricane Nicole made landfall along the coast of eastern Florida on November 10, impacting coastal areas with significant storm surge and coastal erosion. As of the time of writing, Nicole has weakened into a tropical storm and is making its way across inland Florida, creating significant risk of flooding in areas already impacted by Hurricane Ian, which struck just last month. After passing through Florida, the storm is expected to travel up the eastern seaboard, impacting Georgia, the Carolinas, and the mid-Atlantic region. Multiple counties in Florida have instituted evacuation orders for coastal areas, and the state government has warned of significant power disruptions. Scores of emergency shelters have opened along the path of the storm in order to accommodate evacuees without temporary housing prospects.
The development of a hurricane so late in the Atlantic hurricane season, which typically ends November 30, is exceedingly rare (Nicole is the first such late-season storm in 37 years). Meanwhile, the timing of the storm could not be worse: while Nicole’s impacts are expected to be relatively light compared to those of last month’s storm, areas along Nicole’s forecasted track were decimated by Hurricane Ian, and many are still in direct response mode, with residents and local governments continuing to clear debris deposited by record storm surge and having only just restored power in many of the hardest-hit areas.
The NLIHC-led Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition (DHRC) – a group of more than 850 local, state, and national organizations working to ensure that all disaster survivors receive the assistance they need to fully recover – will continue to track the impact of Hurricane Nicole and support members and partners working in impacted areas.
Learn more about the Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition at: https://bit.ly/2NOHusW