Subtropical Storm Nicole bears down on Florida, Orlando-area counties distributing sandbags | Orlando Area News | Orlando

Subtropical storm Nicole is heading this way and Orlando-area counties are distributing sandbags ahead of potential flooding.

Nicole is currently several hundred miles east of the Bahamas and is expected to cut westward toward the islands and the Florida peninsula in the coming days. A hurricane watch has been issued by the National Hurricane Center from the Volusia/Brevard county line to Hallandale Beach.

“Nicole will produce heavy rainfall by Wednesday night and Thursday across the Florida peninsula,” the NHC shared in a recent update. “Flash and urban flooding will be possible…along with river rises on portions of the St. Johns River.”

In advance of the storm, Central Florida counties are offering sandbags to protect homes against flooding.  Seminole County is offering sand in Altamonte Springs at
985 Merrill Park Drive today from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. For the last three hours, workers will be on-site to help those who can’t fill and move bags themselves. They are also holding a sandbag event in Sanford at 800 W. Fulton St. from 7 a.m. until dark everyday until the storm is here.

Volusia County is offering sandbags at Bethune Point Park from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Flagler County is doing the same at Flagler Technical College and Bay Point Park. Flagler will run the sandbag operation until they run out of supplies.