Live updates: Here’s the latest on how Nicole is impacting Florida

Hurricane Nicole on Wednesday was still on target to make landfall on Florida’s east coast in the overnight hours of Wednesday as a Category 1 hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Projected landfall: the Palm Beach-Martin County border — but that could change as the large system soaks fuel from Atlantic waters.

Here’s the latest on Nicole. We will add updates through the day.

Archdiocese of Miami’s Broward schools close on Thursday

7 p.m.: The Archdiocese of Miami’s Broward elementary and secondary schools will be closed on Thursday ahead of Hurricane Nicole’s approach. Catholic schools in Miami-Dade and Monroe will remain open. Schools in all three counties will still observe Veterans Day on Friday and be closed.

The Broward Catholic schools join the county’s public and charter schools which are also closed on Thursday.

Nicole strengthens into Category 1 Hurricane

6 p.m.: Nicole has strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane hours before it is expected make landfall on Florida’s east coast. Hurricane Nicole made its first landfall in the northeastern Bahamas Wednesday afternoon.

It is forecast to make another landfall on Grand Bahama Island Wednesday night and then a third somewhere north of Palm Beach-Martin County border overnight.

High winds and heavy rain are expected to be felt across the state.

Waste Collection on hold in Dade, Broward

5:45 p.m.: Adding to a long list of cancellations due to Tropical Storm Nicole, Waste Management will suspending all collection services in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Service will kick back up on your next scheduled pick-up day. For more information, visit wmfloridastorm.com.

Latest on theme parks

4:45 p.m.: Walt Disney World’s extended evening hours won’t happen Wednesday night. Thursday, the parks are expected to be open but some attractions will be closed, like the Typhoon Lagoon water park.

READ MORE: Disney, Universal, SeaWorld plans in a Nicole world

Nicole’s 4 p.m. advisory

4 p.m.: National Hurricane Center’s 4 p.m. advisory put Tropical Storm Nicole about 55 miles east of Freeport, Grand Bahama in the Bahamas and 135 miles east of West Palm Beach. Its maximum sustained winds were up to 70 mph and it was headed west at 13 mph. Not yet a hurricane and no changes to recent watches or warnings.

Flood, wind advisory

2:30 p.m.: National Weather Service in Miami radar shows most of South Florida — from West Palm Beach to the tip of Key Largo — has rain bands that have already dropped one to two inches of rain. The weather service issued a flood advisory for areas including the City of Miami, Hialeah, Miami Beach, Surfside, Miami Gardens, North Miami Beach, Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Opa-locka, Miami Springs and Miami Shores in Miami-Dade County and Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, Miramar, Davie, Hallandale and West Park in Broward.

The advisory is until 5 p.m.

A wind advisory was also issued by the weather service for metro and coastal Miami-Dade given the likelihood of wind gusts up to 35 mph. The wind advisory is until 7 a.m. Thursday.

Power outages and Nicole

2 p.m.: As Tropical Storm Nicole’s near hurricane winds started to lash Florida’s east coast, the state’s power utilities were holding their own, Florida Power & Light had said. About 9,400 customers on the state’s eastern seaboard has lost power Wednesday afternoon — of that figure, less than 2,000 had lost power in the state’s most populous county, Miami-Dade.

READ MORE: Few power outages in Florida reported so far from Nicole. But the numbers will rise

Changes in Miami-Dade

1 p.m.: The National Hurricane Center lifted the tropical storm watch for Miami-Dade County for all points south of Broward’s Hallandale Beach Wednesday afternoon because Nicole’s primary impacts will be felt further north. There are no storm surge watches or warnings for Miami-Dade.

Making landfall

Noon: Nicole made landfall in Great Abaco Island just before noon Wednesday as a tropical storm, the same spot where Category 5 Hurricane Dorian struck with a vengeance in 2019, leveling much of the community of Marsh Harbour.

READ MORE: Nicole nears Florida. Track nudged south

What are schools doing?

Noon: Miami-Dade public schools closed Wednesday as did Broward County public schools. Broward and Palm Beach County schools will be closed Wednesday and Thursday. Some charter and private schools closed, too. Given Friday is being observed as Veterans Day many school kids will have a break until Monday.

However, all Miami-Dade public schools, and all their facilities, will reopen on Thursday. All adult, after-care programs, athletics and school activities will also resume, the school board noted.

READ MORE: Broward Schools closed for the rest of the week as Nicole approaches

What is Tri-Rail, Brightline doing?

10 a.m.: Tri-Rail and Brightline suspended services Wednesday afternoon ahead of Nicole’s expected landfall.

Tri-Rail said the last northbound train for Wednesday will depart the Miami Airport Station at 3:10 p.m. and arrive at Mangonia Park Station in West Palm Beach at 5:10 p.m. The commuter rail’s last southbound train will depart Mangonia Park Station at 4:25 p.m. and arrive at Miami Airport Station at 6:27 p.m. The service will remain suspended Thursday.

Brightline’s final southbound train for Wednesday from West Palm Beach to Miami will be at 2:48 p.m. The final northbound train from Miami to West Palm Beach will be 4:48 p.m. Brightline+ services, with the exception of private Tesla rides, are also suspended Wednesday in Broward and Palm Beach counties. All Brightline+ services in Miami-Dade County will run until train service ends.

What are airports doing?

9 a.m.: Palm Beach International Airport halted operations at 9 a.m. Wednesday morning ahead of Nicole. Orlando International Airport will also do so at 4 p.m. Wednesday.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport were open and officials from both said they did not expect to have to shut down due to Nicole.

READ MORE: Is my Florida flight canceled or delayed because of Nicole? How to check

Gov. DeSantis’ update on Tropical Storm Nicole

8 a.m.: Fresh from his Tuesday night Election Day victory, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivered an update on the storm. In his video report, DeSantis spoke of the potential for beach erosion as Nicole was expected to land as a Cat 1 in Martin County, move through the state, exit into the Gulf of Mexico, and then return to Florida somewhere in the Big Bend area.

Openings and closings?

Many events have been canceled or postponed as a result of Nicole’s impending visit.

▪ Zoo Miami, for instance, announced Wednesday afternoon that it will close at 2 p.m. Wednesday in anticipation of advancing inclement weather due to Tropical Storm Nicole, spokesman Ron Magill said. Management will meet first thing Thursday morning to evaluate the conditions and make a decision as to whether the Zoo will reopen Thursday.

▪ Cooper City closed its city parks at 4 p.m. Wednesday and has suspended trash pickups on Thursday.

READ MORE: Here’s what is closed and canceled in South Florida because of Nicole

Hurricane shutters?

The time to put up hurricane shutters for parts of South Florida and the east coast was on Tuesday as hurricane and tropical storm watches and warnings were issued by the hurricane center. The hurricane center says storm shutters should be put up when a hurricane watch is issued for where you live. A watch says conditions are possible. A warning is more serious and says when the conditions are expected.

It may not be too late Wednesday, though. Keep up on alerts from the hurricane center and local media and protect yourself before conditions deteriorate if you are in a hurricane watch or warning area.

READ MORE: Should you put up hurricane shutters for Nicole?