Nicole strengthens to a Category 1 hurricane heading toward Florida. There are dozens of counties in a state of emergency

Subtropical Storm Nicole strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane late Wednesday afternoon heading toward eastern Florida, where it is expected to make landfall in the next few hours, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. .

With sustained winds of 75 mph, Nicole was 25 miles east-northeast of Freeport, Bahamas, and 105 miles east of West Palm Beach, Florida, as of late this afternoon.

Thousands of residents in at least 40 Florida counties are under state of emergency or mandatory evacuation orders.

According to the weather information site Accuwreather, in Florida the eye of Nicole is expected to reach the height of the towns of Stuart, Port St. Lucie and Fort Pierce

It is expected to weaken after landfall and move across the central and northern parts of the state, heading toward Georgia on Thursday and the Carolinas on Friday.