PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Palm Beach County officials have issued mandatory evacuations for residents in mobile homes, low-lying areas and barrier islands as Tropical Storm Nicole approaches Florida.
Palm Beach County Mayor Robert Weinroth made the announcement during a news conference Tuesday afternoon.
The evacuations are for Zones A and B and will begin Wednesday at 7 a.m.
"The county will be opening emergency shelters on Wednesday at 7 a.m. We are also opening a special needs shelter and a shelter for those with pets," said Weinroth. "I'm going to stress the fact that these should be a place of last resort."
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The National Hurricane Center said Nicole is expected to make landfall as a Category 1 hurricane somewhere between West Palm Beach and Daytona Beach late Wednesday or early morning Thursday. High tides are also a concern.
"Heavy rainfall is very possible with urban flooding possible as well," Weinroth said. "Flooding will be worse during high tide with 2 to 4-foot storm surge possible."
Residents with questions or concerns regarding preparations and evacuations for Tropical Storm Nicole should call the Palm Beach County Emergency Information Center at (561) 712-6400.
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To see if you're in Palm Beach County's evacuation zones A and B, click here.
To determine if you're in a flood a zone, click here.
For Palm Beach County public safety emergency management status updates, click here.
PALM BEACH COUNTY EVACUATION ZONES