Nicole Passes Over Lake Wales, Limited Impacts Felt

One-time Hurricane Nicole passed over the Lake Wales area this morning, with the broad center of the storm positioned directly over the city at 7:00 am today. Despite gusty winds and steady rains, few serious impacts have been reported so far.

Once again, forecasts from the National Hurricane Center have proven uncannily accurate in predicting the movement of the storm, from predictions of its formation three days before evidence was seen, to its entire unusual course. Nicole took a southwesterly path through the Atlantic to reach the Bahamas, passing over Grand Bahama Island before curving toward Lake Wales.

All area schools were closed as a precaution ahead of the storm.

The storm reached the Florida east coast overnight as a Category One Hurricane boasting 75-mile-per-hour winds, but quickly weakened. Although more than 100,000 customers were out of power in Florida, mostly in Brevard and Indian River Counties on the east coast, there have been few issues in Lake Wales.

Weather conditions in our area are forecast to gradually improve today, with a return to unusual autumn warmth predicted, at least through the middle of next week, when a weak cold front will drop lows into the low 60's.