TROPICAL STORM NICOLE IS BARRELING TOWARDS FLORIDA ALREADY BATTERED EAST COAST. FORECASTERS PREDICT CURRENT 70 MILE-PER-HOUR WINDS COULD REACH HURRICANE STRENGTH WITHIN HOURS.

PALM BEACH COUNTY HAS ALREADY BEEN ORDERED TO EVACUATE. SOME SCHOOLS ACROSS FLORIDA HAVE CLOSED. THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LISTED MORE THAN 40 SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND DOZENS OF COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES WILL BE SHUT DOWN UNTIL AT LEAST THURSDAY.

RESIDENTS HAVE STARTED STOCKPILING FOOD, GAS AND OTHER SUPPLIES AS THE BRACE FOR IMPACT.

LAST NIGHT, NICOLE WAS JUST SHY OF A CATEGORY 1 HURRICANE, BATTERING SOUTH FLORIDA WITH HEAVY RAINS.

TODAY, THE INMATES FROM THE BREVARD COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE WORK CREW WERE TASKED WITH HELPING THE PREPARATION EFFORTS BY HANDING OUT SANDBAGS TO RESIDENTS.

THE STORM IS EXPECTED TO HIT FLORIDA’S EAST COAST EITHER WEDNESDAY NIGHT OR THURSDAY MORNING. LOCAL HAVE BEEN WARNED TO SECURE THEIR HOMES AHEAD OF TORRENTIAL RAIN AND GUSTS.

EXPERTS EMPHASIZE THAT TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND HUNDREDS OF MILES FROM THE CENTER OF CIRCULATION. NO MATTER WHERE IT EVENTUALLY MAKES LANDFALL, THE STORM WILL BRING HURRICANE CONDITIONS TO MANY CENTRAL FLORIDA BEACHES, AND HURRICANE GUSTS TO AREAS INLAND.