Miami.- Two people were electrocuted by a cable fallen by Tropical Storm Nicole in Orange County, central Florida, local media reported.
These are the first known victims of Nicole, who made landfall as a hurricane at a point on the east coast of Florida in the early hours of Thursday and is crossing the peninsula as a storm towards the Gulf of Mexico, to later re-enter land. Floridians and advance on Georgia and South Carolina.
According to Orange County authorities, who have not provided details, the deaths occurred in the town of Conway.
Precisely Kevin Guthrie, head of the agency in charge of emergency management in Florida, warned residents in the area where Nicole passed on Thursday not to leave their homes as much as possible, because there could be power cables loose due to falling of poles.
Nicole has left behind floods and minor damage to homes and infrastructure, according to local media reports.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced at a news conference that he has expanded the state of emergency to include all Florida counties out of “excess precaution.”
While winds have been Nicole’s main concern, heavy rain, flooding and storm surge could also pose a threat, the governor said.
According to specialized web pages, more than 346,000 homes and businesses were without power throughout the state this morning.
