Nicole heads up the East Coast as a tropical depression

Nicole made its trek up the Atlantic eastern seaboard on Friday after hitting Florida as a Category 1 hurricane the day before.

Now listed as a tropical depression, by the National Hurricane Center, Nicole had sustained winds of 23 mph as of Friday morning.

The center said portions of the Southeast, southern and central Appalachians, central and eastern portions of Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio could receive 2 to 4 inches of rain with a local maximum of 8 inches long the Blue Ridge.

"Nicole is forecast to become a post-tropical cyclone later today, and the cyclone is likely to dissipate (Friday)," the center said. "However, Nicole's remnants will continue to move northeastward across the eastern United States through Saturday morning."

The center said Nicole is expected to continue to produce 1-3 inches of rain in the northern Mid-Atlantic into New England through Saturday.

Nicole made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane early Thursday, before weakening to a tropical storm, while lashing the region with strong winds, a dangerous storm surge and heavy rains, one month after the state was battered by Hurricane Ian.

Before moving out of Florida, a storm surge warning had been in effect between Sebastian Inlet Fla., and Altamaha Sound Ga., and between the mouth of the St. Johns River to Georgetown, Fla. along with a warning is also in place between Anclote River Fla., and Ochlockonee River.

Thousands of people lost power in Florida because of Nicole. When it formed on Saturday just south of Puerto Rico, the tropical rainstorm deluged the island with several inches of heavy rainfall. The tropical rainstorm crossed from the Caribbean Sea into the far southwestern Atlantic Ocean early Sunday.