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Experience the Atlantic Ocean up close, whether you're looking for luxury and nightlife or for peace and quiet.

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Breathtaking sunrises, rolling dunes, slow crashing waves – there’s much to love about the shorelines of Florida’s east coast.

While the calm and serene Gulf Coast tends to get more attention for its treasured white sand and warm water, the Atlantic Coast beaches have that magical combination of ocean-side sea breezes, surf and large swaths of seclusion that keep visitors coming back again and again. From Fernandina Beach to Biscayne Bay, the best Atlantic Coast beaches all have at least two things in common: gorgeous views of the ocean from dusk until dawn and plenty of fun for the adventure seekers.

Along what is known as Florida’s “First Coast,” named so for being the first area of the state to be colonized, Jacksonville Beach has a famous fishing pier, a nearby golf course, waterside restaurants and other activities. Further south, Ormond Beach has a small-town vibe that hugs the sandy coastline, drawing those who like quiet walks on the beach, boutique shops, and friendly locals. For visitors looking for more excitement, Daytona Beach is just a 15-minute drive south and has all the thrills and attractions you’d expect from a destination beach favorite among college spring breakers, Bike Week riders and NASCAR fans attending the Daytona International Speedway events. Daytona is the quintessential Florida beach, with great waves for surfing, a boardwalk with rides and arcade games, free summer concerts and the ability to drive along the hard-packed sand.

In the southeast corner of the state, beautiful Delray Beach has a number of upscale resorts and restaurants, art galleries and annual festivals that make this a favorite among couples looking for a romantic getaway. And no trip to South Florida would be complete without a visit toMiami Beach and its pristine and colorful South Beach, known for its soft sand, turquoise waters and quirky characters strolling the shore. The area has one of the liveliest beach communities in Florida, lined by historic Art Deco buildings, top-rated restaurants, nightclubs and other cultural landmarks that set it apart from anywhere else in the country. However, if you’re looking for a unique spot that truly highlights the beauty of the Atlantic Ocean with the seclusion of Florida island life, make it down to Key Biscayne. The sliver of golden sand mixed with lush, green mangroves and wildlife make you feel like you’re worlds away from civilization despite being so close to action-packed Miami.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (WPEC) — Hurricane Nicole is hours away from making landfall on the Florida coast and there are changes with the 10 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

The storm has started to make its right turn, to the north. It's now moving to the west-northwest, instead of west, at 13 mph.

RELATED: Wide-reaching wind field: We're all feeling Nicole's impact regardless of landfall site

CBS12 meteorologist Michael Ehrenberg has details on Hurricane Nicole’s new track and how it’s affecting Florida at 10 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 9, 2022. (WPEC)

The center of Nicole is about 75 miles east-northeast of West Palm Beach, but the center doesn’t make too much of a difference with such a large storm.

Nicole is still expected to make landfall in Florida overnight, in the early hours of Thursday.

Hurricane-force winds now extend 25 miles from the center, while tropical storm-force winds extend up to 485 miles away, especially to the north of the center.

Nicole’s maximum sustained winds remain at 75 mph, but with that slight turn to the north, Broward County is no longer under a hurricane watch. (The tropical storm warning remains.)

RELATED: Tracking Nicole: Photos and video of the storm's impact on South Florida

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The hurricane warning from Palm Beach County, up the coast to Volusia County, remains, but it was expanded in Palm Beach County, late Wednesday afternoon.

RELATED: Tracking Nicole: County-by-county closings

The warning area now stretches west from the coast to U.S. 411. Earlier, it had only reached U.S. 1.

All of Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties remain under the hurricane warning.

RELATED: Urgent question: There's still time to evacuate for Nicole. Should you?RELATED: Tracking Nicole: Storm shelters opening in South Florida

There’s a tropical storm warning for Okeechobee County, Lake Okeechobee, and Broward County.

The hurricane watch for Lake Okeechobee remains. It was discontinued for Broward County.

There’s a storm surge warning for North Palm Beach, up the coast to Georgia, and a storm surge watch from south of North Palm Beach down to all of Broward County.

RELATED: Sheriff sends message to criminals and residents in Indian River CountyRELATED: Juno Beach braces for impact, mayor addresses concerns

A few minutes before noon, Tropical Storm Nicole made landfall on Great Abaco Island in the Northwest Bahamas with maximum winds of 70 mph and a central minimum pressure of 985 mb.

Nicole became a hurricane near Grand Bahama Island during a special 6 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

After making landfall in Florida, Nicole will weaken while moving inland.

RELATED: These counties are under mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders

Take note of upcoming high tides and don’t get trapped by rising water.

Expect storm surge of 2 to 4 feet from North Palm Beach south, including Broward County, and 3 to 5 feet from North Palm Beach north to Georgia.

Avoid the deepest water. That’ll be along the immediate coast near and to the north of landfall, and come with large, destructive waves.

People living in mobile homes or on the barrier islands have been urged to evacuate.

In Palm Beach County, Zone A is the mainland, where authorities urged those people — and those in homes with substandard construction or in a flood-prone area — to evacuate.

Zone B is the barrier islands and a mandatory evacuation has been issued. The evacuation order for the barrier islands went into effect at 7 a.m. Wednesday.

RELATED: Juno Beach braces for impact, mayor addresses concerns RELATED: Fire station on Singer Island evacuated due to flooding

In Martin County, there are voluntary evacuations for people who live in Evacuation Zones A and B. That includes homes on the barrier islands (Hutchinson Island and Jupiter Island), Sewall’s Point, and manufactured/mobile homes, as well as homes in low-lying, vulnerable areas.

RELATED: Flooding in Hutchinson Island

St. Lucie County Public Safety officials "strongly recommend" evacuations for people on the barrier island, low-lying areas along the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon, and those living in manufactured/mobile homes and RVs.

RELATED: Boat ramp buried by flooding in Fort Pierce

Indian River County issued a recommended evacuation, effective Wednesday morning. Evacuation is recommended for areas east of U.S. 1 (including the barrier islands); low-lying, flood-prone areas; people in mobile homes or other vulnerable housing; and people with special medical needs.

RELATED: Nicole likely to set new record on late-season hurricanes hitting Florida's east coastRELATED: Curfew in place for Okeechobee County

They report winds and rainfall will be the greatest threat along the coast with the strongest winds along the Treasure Coast.

Also, the storm surge is expected to be the greatest threat north of the center of the storm.

Right now, this will primarily be a coastal impact with coastal flooding expected along with beach erosion as we approach the full moon phase and see higher-than-normal tides.

Wednesday night, Nicole started to turn from the west toward the west-northwest. It'll continue the turn, heading to the northwest on Thursday, and then north or north-northeast on Friday.

That forecast has the center of Nicole making landfall early Thursday morning, within a few hours of midnight.

Then, it should move across central and northern Florida, and into southern Georgia, Thursday and Thursday night, followed by the Carolinas on Friday.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — A 5,000-mile-long belt of sargassum seaweed is heading for the state of Florida, according to scientists with the University of South Florida (USF).

Researcher and USF oceanography professor Dr. Chaunmin Hu says we'll typically see a peak in "seaweed season" in June or July, but seaweed is already showing up on South Florida beaches in March.

A 5,000-mile-long belt of sargassum seaweed is heading for the state of Florida, CBS12's Amber Raub spoke to local scientists. (WPEC)

"What is unusual this year is we already started with a big sargassum mass in the Atlantic. Very big. So our concerns are about how big it will get when we enter the summer months," said Hu.

Seaweed is no stranger to South Florida beaches. Floridians experience the sargassum that lines the shores throughout Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast each summer.

That sargassum seaweed will eventually get transported to the Gulf of Mexico and then end up on Florida beaches.

"There is a huge amount of seaweed right now lingering around the tropical Atlantic Ocean, but a tiny little bit of that will eventually land on South Florida or the east coast of Florida beaches. We just don't know when and where exactly you will receive this in Florida. As a matter of fact, last week Key West already saw a large amount of seaweed the same amount. And around the Florida Keys that we've tracked, there are small mats and the routes linger around already in March and East Coast," said Hu.

Hu says while we are expected to see more seaweed, it's nothing to panic about.

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"What I want to say is there is no need to panic. This is a natural plant is not toxic. If you see too much on the beaches for it, I think our local managers you know who are in charge of maintaining a clean beach, they are well prepared to remove the seaweed every day when whenever they see this. But just get prepared. There will be incoming seaweeds to the Florida Keys to the East Coast of Florida to some variable amount this summer. And these coming months this month, next month into the summer months," said Hu.

The large amount of seaweed is what Hu calls a "belt". It's an elongated belt expanding from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico and is about 5,000 miles long and 200-300 miles wide. Hu says this belt of seaweed is only less than .01 percent of the ocean's surface.

There's no guarantee that all of the seaweed will make it onto South Florida beaches. It's up to mother nature.

"That's (whether the seaweed will wash ashore) driven by ocean currents and dominant winds both okay. And there's no way to stop that or to make them turn away. There's absolutely no (way), it's just like a Hurricane, nobody can detour a hurricane right? It's hard to predict which beach will receive more seaweed, exactly, but in general, on the east coast of Florida, we receive some seaweed, and the south and Southeast coast, including Palm Beach, and Miami Beach for other day regions. They will receive more than the Northeast coast of Florida," said Hu.

What is sargassum seaweed?

According to Florida Health, sargassum is a type of brown seaweed. As it rots, it gives off a substance called hydrogen sulfide. Hydrogen sulfide has a very unpleasant odor, like rotten eggs. Although the seaweed itself cannot harm your health, tiny sea creatures that live in sargassum can cause skin rashes and blisters.

Sargassum provides an important habitat for migratory organisms like crabs, shrimp, sea turtles, jellyfish, and commercially important fish species such as tuna and marlin.

Those tiny organisms (like larvae of jellyfish) that live in the sargassum can cause irritation to the skin.

Hu says not to worry about it in the ocean, but when it washes ashore, be sure to avoid it.

"Rotten seaweed can attract insects and can grow bacteria so people should avoid it. This is why the managers (city managers or ocean rescue chiefs) removed seaweed in time," said Hu.

Hu says to expect larger amounts of this seaweed to wash ashore starting in April.

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Hurricane Lee strengthened into a powerful Category 5 storm Thursday night.

The latest computer models still continue to keep the system away from Florida.

According to the 11 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Lee has maximum sustained winds of 160 mph and is moving west-northwest at 14 mph.

TRACKING THE TROPICS: Hurricane Center | Hurricane Guide

The hurricane will continue moving in this direction for the next several days while gradually slowing down its forward speed.

Rip currents and hazardous surf will spread across the northern Caribbean on Friday and begin affecting the mainland U.S. by Sunday.

On the forecast track, Lee is expected to pass well to the north of the northern Leeward Islands, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico over the weekend and into early next week.

Data from an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft indicate that maximum sustained winds have increased to near 160 mph with higher gusts. Additional strengthening is forecast overnight.

Fluctuations in intensity are likely over the next few days, but Lee is expected to remain a major hurricane through early next week. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles.

WPTV First Alert Weather chief meteorologist Steve Weagle said Lee is still expected to stay east of Florida.

"A key moment for Florida will be sunrise Wednesday. That's when models suggest the storm turns north," Weagle said. "All global models continue to predict a turn 650 miles off Florida's coast."

WPTV First Alert Weather meteorologist Jennifer Correa said that as Lee tracks closer to the Caribbean, it will move into areas that are very moist with less dry air.

As a result, Lee is expected to stay north of Puerto Rico and Hispaniola and east of the Bahamas and Florida.

"Seven days out, you see that curve towards the north. The good thing is that all the models are in agreement, so we know the turn is going to happen," Correa said. "But, could the hurricane end up a little closer to Bermuda or a little closer to the eastern seaboard like the mid-Atlantic?"

Correa added there will be some indirect impacts from Lee, especially for marine conditions which will impact the Caribbean, including the Bahamas, U.S. eastern seaboard, and Bermuda this weekend through next week.

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday was given the hurricane's latest trajectory and details of preparations underway by the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, which deployed unidentified assets to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to the White House.

Lee is the 12th named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1 to Nov. 30 and peaks in September.

Tropical Storm Margot became the 13th named storm after forming on Thursday evening.

The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration in August forecasted between 14 to 21 named storms this season, with six to 11 of them expected to become hurricanes, and of those, two to five possibly developing into major hurricanes.

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Florida’s Turnpike will close all lanes between Boynton Beach Boulevard and Lake Worth Road from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Tuesday and Wednesday.

The closure is one in a series of full closures for the replacement of the Hypoluxo Road bridge as part of the widening project from Boynton Beach Boulevard (Exit 86) to Lake Worth Road (Exit 93). The bridge had to be relocated to accommodate the project.

The Turnpike has tried twice before to undertake the work but had to cancel each time; the last cancellation was due to Hurricane Idalia. Turnpike officials note that the scheduled closures could again change due to inclement weather or unforeseen circumstances.

Detour information for Florida Turnpike traffic:

What is the construction timeline of the stretch of Florida's Turnpike?

Florida’s Turnpike is widening the stretch from two to three lanes in each direction, between Lake Worth Beach Road and Boynton Beach Boulevard.

Work on the project, which will cost $170 million, began in 2019 and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2025.

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On deck for Florida's Turnpike: More widening in south Palm Beach County

There are plans to expand the turnpike from six to eight lanes on a 4.5-mile stretch from the Sawgrass Expressway to north of Glades Road west of Boca Raton with construction scheduled to begin in 2025.

The plan is to help ease traffic to the south in Broward County, where the closest exit is 6 miles away at the Sawgrass Expressway. The Sample Road exit in Coconut Creek is 10 miles south of Glades Road.

SOUTH COUNTY TRAFFIC:Officials hope road widening, micro-mobility ideas can address issues

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Mike Diamond is a journalist at The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. He covers Palm Beach County government and transportation. You can reach him at [email protected]. Help support local journalism. Subscribe today