Nicole heads up East Coast after 4 deaths in Florida

Hurricane Nicole is approaching Florida as a large Category 1 storm with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.

The latest forecast shows Nicole touching down along Florida's east coast after midnight but before sunrise, with one model estimating landfall between Cocoa Beach and Fort Pierce at 4 a.m. local time, although projections can change.

Hurricane warnings have been issued from West Palm Beach north to Daytona Beach, with tropical storm warnings extending inland from Miami through Tallahassee, and even extending into parts of southern Georgia and coastal South Carolina.

-ABC News' Riley Winch

Nicole strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane on Wednesday evening while making landfall on Grand Bahama, the northernmost island of the Bahamas archipelago, according to the National Weather Service. The storm currently has maximum winds of 75 miles per hour.

Nicole may strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall overnight near Fort Pierce. Over the next 24 hours, the biggest threats for Florida will be damaging beach erosion, storm surge up to 5 feet, isolated tornadoes and wind gusts around 70 mph.

Hurricane warnings are in effect from West Palm Beach to Daytona Beach. Tropical storm warnings are in effect for much of Florida and extend up to coastal Georgia and South Carolina.

After landfall, Nicole will quickly weaken as it moves across central Florida and the Panhandle, but it'll bring rain, powerful winds and storm surge.

Three feet to 5 feet of storm surge is expected from West Palm Beach to Jacksonville while Florida’s Big Bend area could see 2 to 4 feet of storm surge.

The heaviest rain -- 8 inches -- will hit central Florida. Flash flooding is also possible.

As Nicole moves north, the heavy rain will stretch into the Mid-Atlantic and New England. Pennsylvania to Vermont could see 2 to 4 inches of rain. Philadelphia, New York City and Boston could see 2 inches of rain and gusty winds.

-ABC News’ Melissa Griffin

Nicole made landfall as a tropical storm on Great Abaco Island in the northwestern Bahamas just before noon local time on Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

The storm currently has maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour.