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11 AM UPDATE: Tropical Depression 16 was upgraded to Tropical Storm Nicole by the National Hurricane Center, but the track of the storm shifted to the east, off the Florida coast. As a result, forecasters discontinued tropical storm warnings for the peninsula. While heavy rain was still a concern for Palm Beach and other areas of South Florida, tropical storm conditions will likely be confined to the Bahamas. Nicole’s winds were at 40 mph, minimal tropical storm strength. In addition, the system’s movement had shifted to the northeast, rather than the north-northeast track it had taken over the Caribbean and Cuba.
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ORIGINAL POST: Tropical Depression 16 is again “very close” to becoming Tropical Storm Nicole as it exits the coast of Cuba into the Florida Straits. There’s a “brief window” of opportunity for the storm to strengthen due to lower wind shear before making landfall on Florida’s southern peninsula, the National Hurricane Center said this morning.
At 8 a.m., the system was plotted at 22.6N 81.4W, about 230 south-southwest of Miami , and it was moving toward the north-northeast at 9 mph. Minimum pressure was 996 mb.
If that strengthening occurs, Nicole would move through South Florida with winds of about 45 mph. On its current projected track, the center is expected to spin up through central Palm Beach County early tonight, leaving the worst weather to the east.
That means coastal sections will see the most blustery conditions, but peak winds are expected to stay off shore, or in the Bahamas.
Through this morning, Palm Beach International reported .93 inches of rain from the system. Other totals reported by local television stations were 1.45 inches at Port St. Lucie; .8 inches at Delray Beach; 1.44 inches at Loxahatchee; and 1.13 inches in western Boca Raton.
Some minor flooding was reported around the county, on Forest Hill Boulevard, on North Federal Highway in Boca Raton, and in several Jupiter parking lots.
About 60 Florida Power and Light customers were without power this morning due to the storm.
The southeast coast of Florida remained under a tropical storm warning, from Sebastian to Cape Sable. Flood watches were also in effect.
Jamaica has been hammered by TD 16, although the center remained to the west of the island.
On Weather Underground today, a poster reported: “I have not seen rain like this in Jamaica in a long time. All schools are closed today. There is also a report of water spout touching down in Sav-la-mar, destroying four houses. There seems to be widespread flooding.”
The Jamaica Observer reported this morning that a bridge had collapsed, partially washed away by floodwaters. Several roads around the island have been damaged or blocked. There may have been injuries as well, the paper said.
Photo: Residents gather around the remains of a bridge in St. Andrew, Jamaica that collapsed due to flooding from TD 16. (Credit: Jamaica Observer/ Anna-Kay Morris. Used with permission.)