Nicole heads up East Coast after 4 deaths in Florida

Nicole made landfall as a hurricane Thursday morning.

Nicole made landfall along Florida's east coast as a Category 1 hurricane early Thursday before weakening to a tropical depression later that night.

It was the second-latest hurricane landfall in a calendar year on record in the United States.

Nicole formed as a subtropical storm in the southwestern Atlantic Ocean on Monday, becoming the 14th named storm of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, which ends later this month.


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Tornado watch issued for parts of Florida, Georgia

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for northeastern Florida and southeastern Georgia on Thursday morning, in effect until 1 p.m. local time.

Brief spin-up tornadoes are common in tropical storm systems, so more watches could be issued throughout the day.

-ABC News’ Daniel Amarante


100,000 without power in Florida after Nicole's landfall

More than 100,000 customers were without power across Florida early Thursday, shortly after Nicole made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane, according to data collected by PowerOutage.us.

-ABC News’ Robinson Perez


Nicole weakens back into a tropical storm

Nicole weakened back into a tropical storm shortly after making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane along Florida's east coast early Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.

The storm currently has maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour, as it moves inland across the Sunshine State. To be classified as a hurricane, a tropical cyclone must have maximum sustained winds of at least 74 mph.

Nevertheless, the National Weather Service warned that "strong winds, dangerous storm surge and waves, and heavy rains continue over a large area."

A hurricane warning from Boca Raton to the Flagler-Volusia County line in eastern Florida has been changed to a tropical storm warning. A tropical storm warning south of Boca Raton to Hallandale Beach, Florida, has also been discontinued, along with a hurricane watch for Florida's Lake Okeechobee.

A storm surge warning from North Palm Beach to Jupiter Inlet in eastern Florida has been discontinued. A storm surge watch south of North Palm Beach to Hallandale Beach, Florida, has also been discontinued.

All warnings have been discontinued for the northwestern Bahamas, according to the National Weather Service.


Nicole makes landfall as Category 1 hurricane in Florida

Nicole made landfall along Florida's east coast on North Hutchinson Island, just south of Vero Beach, at 3 a.m. local time on Thursday as a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.

It's the second-latest hurricane landfall on record in the United States.


Here's where Nicole is headed next

Areas of heavy rain and gusty winds will continue to impact parts of the Southeast overnight as the system begins its move up the East Coast.

A tornado threat continues for portions of Georgia, South Carolina and now southern North Carolina as of Thursday night.

A tornado watch is in effect until at least 1 a.m., including in Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina, and Wilmington, North Carolina.

-ABC News' Dan Peck