On the 10th, Nicole became the first November hurricane to make landfall on the U.S. mainland since 1985, when Kate struck near Mexico Beach, FL, on November 21.
Nicole, a Category 1 hurricane with sustained winds near 75 mph, moved ashore just south of Vero Beach, FL, around 3 am EST. The entire state of Florida, except the western panhandle, was subjected to tropical storm-force winds (39 mph or greater), with possible impacts on a citrus crop already damaged by Hurricane Ian.
Florida’s sugarcane was spared a direct hit, with the highest winds and heaviest rain remaining to the north of the production area. Nicole’s remnants eventually affected the entire eastern U.S., providing varying degrees of relief from autumn dryness. Some of the heaviest rain, locally 4 inches or more, fell in the central and southern Appalachians and neighboring areas.
For the full USDA report for Nov. 15, click here.