Nicole puts Florida under hurricane, storm surge warning. What should you be doing now?

Florida’s east coast is under several watches and warnings ahead of Tropical Storm Nicole’s expected mid-week landfall — and it’s time to start preparing.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday also issued a state of emergency for parts of Florida in preparation for the storm, which is forecast to be at or near Category 1 hurricane-level strength by the time it approaches the state Wednesday night.

Here’s what to know about the watches in effect, and what you should be doing right now:

Nicole watches/warnings

As of the hurricane center’s Monday afternoon advisory, here are the watches in effect for Florida:

▪ A hurricane warning is in effect for Florida’s east coast from Boca Raton in Palm Beach County to the Flagler/Volusia County Line. This means hurricane conditions are expected in the area.

▪ A hurricane watch is in effect from Broward’s Hallandale Beach to Boca Raton in Palm Beach County. A watch also remains for Lake Okeechobee and from the Flagler/Volusia County line to Ponte Vedra Beach in St. Johns County. This means hurricane conditions (winds of 74 mph or greater) are possible in your area, generally within 48 hours. You should put up storm shutters. Do not wait for the hurricane watch to become a warning to start your hurricane preparations.

▪ A tropical storm warning is in effect for Florida’s east coast from Broward’s Hallandale Beach to Boca Raton in Palm Beach County. A warning also remains for Lake Okeechobee and from Florida’s Flagler/Volusia County line to Altamaha Sound, Georgia. This means tropical storm conditions are expected in the area within 36 hours.

▪ A tropical storm watch is in effect from Miami-Dade County to Hallandale Beach in Broward County. A watch also remains in effect from Bonita Beach north to the Ochlockonee River. This means tropical storm conditions (winds of 39 to 73 mph) are possible in your area, generally within 48 hours.

▪ A storm surge warning is in effect from North Palm Beach to Altamaha Sound, Georgia, including the mouth of Florida’s St. Johns River to Georgetown. This means that life-threatening flooding is possible somewhere in the area, generally within 48 hours. Storm surge is considered to be one of the “greatest threats to life” a hurricane can bring, according to the National Hurricane Center. Hurricane Ian’s deadly catastrophic damage to Southwest Florida is a recent example of the risk storm surge poses.

▪ A storm surge watch is in effect from North Palm Beach to Hallandale Beach in Broward. A watch also remains in effect from the Anclote River to Suwanee River.

READ MORE: When will Miami and the rest of Florida feel Tropical Storm Nicole’s rain and wind?

Storm prep

Now that you know the watches that are in effect, it’s time to go over a checklist of things you need to do before Nicole arrives in Florida:

▪ Fuel up your car, charge your power banks, withdraw cash, buy supplies (food, water, medicine, etc.) you still need.

▪ Bring your patio furniture, pets and potted plants inside. Tie down anything that could become airborne. If you have a boat, secure it properly.

▪ Check to see if you live in an evacuation zone and discuss possible evacuation routes with your family.

In Miami-Dade, check your zone at miamidade.gov/hurricane. In Broward, visit broward.org/hurricane. In the Florida Keys, visit monroecounty-fl.gov/897/Evacuation-Information. If you’re planning to spend the storm elsewhere in Florida, the Florida Division of Emergency Management has online maps you can refer to for all 67 counties.

▪ Monitor local news for updates from the National Hurricane Center, your local National Weather Service office and local officials on the storm’s track, what type of hazards to expect, if schools will be closed and if there are any evacuation orders in effect.

READ NEXT: How much storm surge will Tropical Storm Nicole bring to Florida? See the risk by area

▪ Get sandbags: The city of Miami is distributing sandbags to its residents starting Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at three city parks: Grapeland Park, 1550 NW 37th Ave.; Little Haiti Park, 6301 NE Second Ave.; and Douglas Park, 2755 SW 37th Ave. The city of Fort Lauderdale is also distributing sandbags to its residents at Mills Pond Park, 2201 NW Ninth Ave., beginning Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

▪ Find a safe place to park your car: The city of Miami Beach will open municipal garages for residents wishing to keep their cars, motorcycles or scooters out of flood-prone areas. Residents may park vehicles free of charge from 5 p.m. Tuesday to 8 p.m. Thursday.

▪ Put your shutters up and don’t leave trash on the curb. If you don’t have shutters or hurricane-proof windows, board up your windows with 5/8-inch plywood. Do NOT tape your windows. That’s stupid — and it doesn’t work.

The National Hurricane Center says storm shutters should be put up when a hurricane watch is issued for where you live.

Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie also told the Miami Herald ahead of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season that you might want to put up shutters for a tropical storm, too.

“If a two by four is flying through the air at 40 miles an hour — somebody left something in the yard and a lawn chair is flying through the air at 40 miles an hour — and it hits your window, it’s probably not going to survive it,” Guthrie said. “What we would recommend is when your area comes underneath a tropical storm watch or higher, go ahead and put your shutters in place ... because the shutters are there to protect your home.”

When should all my preparations be done?

National Weather Service Meteorologist Robert Garcia said all storm preparations should be done by Tuesday night.

The National Hurricane Center expects portions of Florida’s east coast will begin to feel tropical storm conditions by Tuesday night, with hurricane conditions possible by Wednesday night. The center’s forecast track shows Nicole nearing Florida’s east coast Wednesday night.

What if I don’t live in the watch area?

Garcia said people who live in other parts of Florida that are not under a watch or warning should continue to monitor the news for updates on the forecast and any possible evacuation orders.

Garcia said you should also take the time to check your hurricane plans and make sure you have supplies. Nicole is forecast to be a large storm, which means its impacts will be felt far from its center. And just because your county isn’t under a watch or warning at the moment, doesn’t mean it won’t be in the coming days.

Nicole is forecast to cross over Florida after all.

Which parts of Florida are under a state of emergency?

DeSantis declared a state of emergency Monday for 34 counties, including Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. The other counties are:

Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Martin, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Pasco, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, and Volusia.

Omar Rodríguez Ortiz contributed to this report.