Polk County braced itself for round two of hurricane season when Tropical Storm Nicole reared its head on Florida’s east coast on Wednesday, Nov. 9, but it seems that the county was largely spared this time around.
Nicole’s wind speeds picked up to 75 miles per hour — making it a Category 1 hurricane — before making landfall at around 3 a.m. on Thursday morning. By the time it was over Polk County, wind speeds decreased to the low 50s, re-categorizing it as a tropical storm.
Lakeland Electric reported 5,000 customers who lost power during part of the day. During Hurricane Ian, 63,500 lost power. Swan City prepared for 3-6 inches of rain, but records indicate we saw 2.1 inches.
Hurricane season runs through Nov. 30, so while it’s a little late in the game, stay prepared for anything using our hurricane season guide.