MIAMI — Tropical Storm Nicole, on the cusp of strengthening into a Category 1 hurricane possibly within hours, remained on track to cross the Bahamas Wednesday and slam much of Florida with pounding surf, high winds and heavy rain.
Forecasters also shifted the track slightly south — with potential landfall expected in the overnight hours near the Palm Beach-Martin County border — though that could still change. But regardless of where the center crosses the state, the sprawling storm’s wind field continued to grow overnight high winds and heavy rains will be felt hundreds of miles away — with the worst conditions likely on its northern side.
Many coastal and inland counties, including Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach, had already ordered school closures for Wednesday.
