Yesterday, we reported that The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm watch for Orange and Osceola Counties — which included Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort.
Today, the National Hurricane Center projected the path of Subtropical Storm Nicole has shifted north with a landfall closer to Brevard County late Wednesday or early Thursday. If that happens, that would bring it right over Orlando.
As a result, Walt Disney World is taking some advanced precautions, including suspending any new park reservations, for all ticket categories, on Thursday, November 10, and Friday, November 11, 2022. It should be noted that this does not mean the parks will be closed at this time, but they are halting any new park reservations as a precaution. The resort took the same action last month with Hurricane Ian.
Today, Walt Disney World did announce a few closures, including the closure of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, Copper Creek Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, and the Bungalows at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. The resorts will be closed Wednesday, November 9 through Friday, November 11.
In addition, performances of Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue have been canceled for Wednesday, November 9 through Friday, November 11. Guests with pre-paid reservations will be automatically canceled and refunded.”
Forecasters are still predicting Nicole will strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane. Central Florida is expected to face “long-duration impacts from pounding surf, strong winds, and torrential rain.”
In anticipation of Nicole’s arrival, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency for 34 counties yesterday.
“While this storm does not, at this time, appear that it will become much stronger, I urge all Floridians to be prepared and to listen to announcements from local emergency management officials,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “We will continue to monitor the trajectory and strength of this storm as it moves towards Florida.”
“It is extremely unusual for tropical storms to hit the east coast of Florida in November,” AccuWeather Senior Weather Editor and meteorologist Jesse Ferrell said. “Besides the 1935 Miami Hurricane, the only other storm [to hit Florida’s east coast during the month] was an unnamed system in 1946.”
“Only two hurricanes have struck Florida during the month of November,” Ferrell added. “Kate crashed into the Florida Panhandle as a Category 2 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale in November of 1985 — 50 years after the Miami Hurricane had made landfall in the southeastern part of the state.”
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Source: Accuweather
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