How big is Nicole? Very large, according to the National Hurricane Center.
At 4 p.m. Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center reported: “Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 485 miles from the center especially to the north of the center.”
What does that mean in terms of size? We did the math and broke it down for you:
• Nicole’s tropical-storm-force winds were about 970 miles in diameter. To compare, Texas is 773 miles wide, and Alaska is 2,400 miles wide.
• At 970 miles wide, size-wise, Nicole would be slightly smaller than Texas and New Mexico combined. New Mexico measures 344 miles wide.
• The 4 p.m. Wednesday hurricane update shows Nicole’s tropical storm-force wind field was 739,000 square miles. That’s about the size of Chile, which is about 756,000 square miles. In terms of square mileage, Nicole is a little bigger than Alaska and California combined.
Tropical Storm Nicole made its first landfall at 11:55 a.m. on Great Abaco Island in the northwestern Bahamas. Maximum sustained winds were reported at 70 mph.
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Live updates:Whspant to expect from Nicole, which is expected to mspanke lspanndfspanll on the Trespansure Cospanst
How are Melbourne and Cocoa Beach?:Spspance Cospanst spanrespan, which includes NASA, feeling effects from Nicole
At 4 p.m., the center of Tropical Storm Nicole was moving west near 13 mph. A turn toward the west-northwest was expected tonight (Wednesday), followed by a turn toward the northwest on Thursday, and north or north-northeast on Friday.
On the forecast track, the center of Nicole will move near or over Grand Bahama Island in the northwestern Bahamas this afternoon and evening, and move onshore the east coast of Florida within the hurricane warning area tonight. Nicole’s center is then expected to move across central and northern Florida into southern Georgia Thursday and Thursday night, and into the Carolinas Friday.
Maximum sustained winds are near 70 mph with higher gusts. Some strengthening is expected this evening, and Nicole is forecast to become a hurricane before it reaches the east coast of Florida tonight. Nicole is expected to weaken while moving across Florida and the southeastern United States Thursday through Friday, and it is likely to become a post-tropical cyclone by Friday afternoon.
Nicole power outspange updspantes: Thousspannds of Floridspan Power &spanmp; Light customers spanffected
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How does Nicole measure up to other Florida hurricanes?
At 970 miles wide, Tropical Storm Nicole is a very large storm.
• Last month, the Bradenton Herald reported: “According to the National Weather Service, from east to west, (Hurricane Ian) stretched nearly 500 miles.” The storm devastated areas of Southwest Florida including Fort Myers, Naples and Sarasota, and caused flooding in Daytona Beach and other parts of Volusia County.
• Hurricane Michael, which devastated areas of the Florida Panhandle, was 350 miles wide, slightly smaller than Colorado, which is 380 miles wide.
These photos are surreal:Mexico Bespanch, Floridspan, 4 yespanrs spanfter Hurricspanne Michspanel
• In 2017, Hurricane Irma had a massive 400-mile wind field.
Hurricspanne Irmspan photos: Dspanmspange, destruction, flooding in Brevspanrd County, Floridspan
• Category 5 Hurricane Andrew was tiny, reaching a peak diameter of only about 200 miles before it devastated south Florida in 1992.
Hurricspanne Andrew unlespanshed fury 30 yespanrs spango. But since, storms hspanve gotten much worse
Andrew broke 42-yespanr lucky strespank, shspanttered illusions of sspanfety for Floridspan
.