BROWARD COUNTY, FL - Broward County and emergency response partners are closely monitoring Tropical Storm Nicole. At a noon news conference today, Broward County Mayor Michael Udine spoke about the storm shifting a little further north, taking Broward County out of the "cone," however, as of 3PM, the County is still under a Tropical Storm Warning, Hurricane Watch and Storm Surge Watch.

According to the National Weather Service, worsening weather could begin later this evening, and potentially intensify Wednesday morning with possible tropical storm activity in the afternoon. Coastal residents can expect to see higher than normal tides with risk of storm surge. Broward will experience gusty winds and potential for sustained winds on Thursday, rainfall and some possible flooding in coastal and low-lying areas.

Broward County declared a local state of emergency that went into effect at noon today. Although Broward County is under a local state of emergency, County operations continue as normal. The Broward County Emergency Operations Center remains at a Level 2 (partial activation). There is no plan to close normal County Government operations, offices or services and no directive to begin emergency operations. The County is not issuing any evacuation orders or opening any shelters at this time.

Latest updates on Broward County activities regarding Tropical Storm Nicole:

• Broward County Transit, Paratransit and Community Shuttles will run on a normal schedule, unless Broward experiences sustained tropical storm force winds.
• Broward County's Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and North Perry Airport are fully operational at this time; however, passengers are encouraged to check departure status with the airline directly.
• As of 8AM today, Port Everglades was placed into Port condition YANKEE, which means expected onset of gale force winds (39 - 54 mph) within 24 hours. Waterside operations and inbound trucks will cease at 8PM today, when the Port goes under condition ZULU, as directed by the Coast Guard. Outbound container trucks will continue operations throughout the day. Fuel supplies are not expected to be an issue. Get the latest Port weather updates here.
• The Coast Guard issued an order for bridges in Broward County to go into "lock down" position which began at 10AM today. The three bridges in downtown Fort Lauderdale, which are maintained by Broward County, will begin lock down at 3PM, and will be complete by 7PM. This includes the bridges at Andrews Avenue, 3rd Avenue and 4th Avenue.
• Parks & Recreation Division has announced:
  -Athletic fields at Brian Piccolo, Central Broward Regional, Sunview and Tradewinds parks will close on Wednesday and  Thursday, if Broward receives the amount of rainfall expected.
  -Deerfield Island Park will be closed Friday through Sunday, as the boat used to transport visitors to and from the island must be secured during the storm.
  -Campers have been notified and are encouraged, but not required, to vacate in advance of the storm. If a Hurricane Warning is issued, the park will be closed, and all campground users must evacuate. Park updates are posted here.
• Questions about municipal services such as trash and waste pick-ups, refer to your municipality website.
• The public is advised to visit browardschools.com for updated information.
• Today, November 8, is Election Day. Polls are open until 7PM. Residents are encouraged to vote early to avoid worsening weather. Voting activities are operating normally. Check here for your polling location.

Residents are encouraged to monitor media for up-to-the-minute information and public safety advisories, follow Broward County on Twitter.com/ReadyBroward, like us on Facebook.com/BrowardEMD and visit Broward.org/hurricane for more information and an extensive A-Z Guide to preparedness. Have a family plan to be resilient, ready and safe during this hurricane season, which lasts through November 30.

Broward County continues to monitor Tropical Storm Nicole closely. Should conditions change, additional updates will be provided.