Hurricane Nicole in Florida killed 5 people: due to frequent storms, houses in the state began to collapse and go under water

In Florida, houses and buildings are collapsing and submerged. State officials have issued evacuation warnings for some areas. The culprit was Tropical Storm Nicole, which threw a huge amount of ocean water ashore when it made landfall on November 10. Writes about it CNN.

Photo: IStock

Footage from Volusia County shows houses crumbling to rubble as waves from Storm Nicole wash away the coastline.

"At this moment, the epicenter of the storm is here," Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said on November 10, as Storm Nicole made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane.

Three main factors contribute to the dangerous situation on the coast.

Storm surge from Nicole peaked at about 6 feet (1,8 m) on November 11 in the morning. This storm surge combined with the high tide due to the full moon and pushed a huge amount of water ashore.

On top of all this, sea levels in this part of Florida have risen by more than a foot (30 cm) in the last 100 years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and most of this rise has occurred in the last 30 years.

More drone footage shows the extent and power of the coastal erosion in Florida — this concrete pool was snapped in half when the sand below it washed away #FLwx #Nicole pic.twitter.com/7GapYvhX6P

- WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) November 10, 2022

Scientists and researchers have long warned that rising sea levels lead to increased erosion and flooding during high tides, especially during severe coastal storms. This puts even more strain on the breakwaters, which are designed to protect coastal communities from high waves and rising water levels.

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“We are gradually increasing the load on the breakwaters as sea levels rise,” said Brian McNoldy, senior scientist at the University of Miami's School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. “More and more of them are gradually completely submerged in water.”

McNoldy noted that the breakwaters are aging and the recurring nature of storms makes the seawalls more vulnerable. Just six weeks ago, the storm surge of Hurricane Ian devastated parts of Florida's east coast.

“It doesn’t even need a big storm – just enough tides or flooding caused by the storm to put extra stress on the walls,” he said. “If the breakwaters are not given time to repair, then each of the two storms, six weeks apart, will leave its devastating mark.”

Many coastal communities in the United States regularly experience severe flooding. In addition, rising sea levels, caused by warmer water temperatures and the melting of glaciers and ice sheets, are increasing the risk to coastal communities.

Tropical Storm Nicole arriving in South St. Augustine. pic.twitter.com/QBVDhz1mrO

—John Bass (@Jwbass13) November 10, 2022

In 2019, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported that there will be 2050 to 25 days of tidal flooding in the United States by 75.

Not least, hurricane storm surges are getting higher year by year, and homes and other vital infrastructure are now exposed to salt water and erosion in a way that wasn't the case a few decades ago.

Killed 5 people

Tropical Storm Nicole is not only destroying buildings - it has claimed the lives of at least five people, writes People.

Orange County spokesman Jerry Demings said four people died in the disaster.

He clarified that two people died after they were electrocuted due to a power line cut during the hurricane. Two more were victims of a car accident.

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In addition, Thomas Whittle, a 68-year-old man from Port Canaveral, died after a rescue attempt.

Police said they received a phone call at 04:33 local time from "a woman saying her husband was in trouble."

The couple were on their yacht, moored in Lee Wenner Park.

“When the rescuers and the police arrived, they saw an unflattering picture: a man and a woman were on a watercraft, which the waves beat against the pier,” the police said.

While rescuers were able to get to the people in distress and perform CPR on Whittle, "the yacht broke free from the berth and began to drift."

Rescuers secured the "vessel with a rope" before Whittle and his wife were taken to a nearby hospital. In a medical institution, experts ascertained the death of the victim, the cause of which has not yet been established, police said.

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