During the final week of September, Tropical Storm Matthew dissipated over Mexico. However, the huge amount of moisture left over from this system was accompanying a broad area of low pressure over Central America and the western Caribbean. Disorganized showers and thunderstorms began to appear in this area during the day of September 26, and pressures dropped over the area over the coming days. On September 28, a closed center formed, and the system was upgraded to Tropical Depression Sixteen. The depression's center was broad, with the only area of convection to the southeast of the circulation, but a band formed to the northeast of the center later that day, as well as the center itself becoming slightly more defined, and these factors resulted in the pressure dropping slightly as the system moved northnortheast, but not a promotion to tropical storm status. The depression made landfall in Cuba, but as it was a very asymmetrical and broad cyclone, it was very difficult to classify one way or the other. However, the presence of tropical storm force winds near the center was enough to push the cyclone to Tropical Storm Nicole during the morning of September 29, while still over Cuba.
The system emerged over water but the huge circulation lost the little tropical characteristics that it had, and was declared dissipated later that day, shortly after reaching its peak intensity of 40 mph winds and a pressure of 996 mb. However, the rainfall was by no means over. The remnant moisture of Nicole combined with an extratropical low off of North Carolina and a stationary front over the northeast to bring torrential rainfall to the region from Maine to Florida, with local amounts exceeding fifteen inches. This storm activity finally ceased by October 1. This cyclone caused 13 fatalities and $151.9 million in damage, but this does not include additional damage wreaked by the combined system that impacted the northeast U.S.
Nicole as an odd-looking tropical storm near Cuba.
Track of Nicole.
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