This is Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly with an update on Tropical Storm Nicole. Flagler County Emergency Management has ordered evacuations as the storm approaches Flagler County. This order only applies to residents of the barrier island and is technically voluntary, but I encourage you to follow the advice of Flagler County Emergency Management. If you are in an evacuation area and you decide to stay, realize that first responders may not be able to get to you quickly in case of an emergency due to the weather conditions. Get prepared now for storm impacts as Flagler County will be affected by Nicole in the days to come. We anticipate wind and rain, with the wind likely to come first and the rain to follow. We do not expect Nicole to impact the mainland significantly, but beachside will likely see the same kind of impact as Hurricane Ian. Expect possible dune breaches and flooding up and down A-1-A along with large waves and heavy surf eroding the coastline. Some flooding is expected in areas along the Intracoastal Waterway. Start getting ready for conditions to deteriorate quickly. If you’re going to stay in your home, make sure you have enough food and water to last at least three days. A week would be better. And I suggest you do the same with your medicines. Keep plenty of batteries available for flashlights and your weather radio should the power go out and you don’t have a generator. Now would be a good time to charge up your phones. I also suggest putting your important documents and property photos in order and sealing them in bags or packages where they won’t be damaged by water. Do the same with your first-aid kits. If you are going to put shutters up, we recommend you do that as soon as possible. Your Sheriff’s Office is ready for whatever Tropical Storm Nicole sends our way. Follow us on social media where we will continue to post updates until Nicole is no longer a threat to our community. We got through Ian together and we will get through Nicole together, too. Stay safe, everyone. #TropicalStormNicole #GetReady #StormPrep #FlaglerCounty #FCSO