Where is Jim Cantore? Weather Channel meteorologist spotted in Daytona Beach area

UPDATE: According to a Volusia County emergency official Jim Cantore moved on to Vero Beach after Daytona Beach was no longer in Hurricane Nicole's forecast cone.

If you weren't taking Tropical Storm Nicole seriously before, you'd better start now: Jim Cantore is here.

The Weather Channel meteorologist has landed, according to multiple social media posts from residents who spotted him at Daytona Beach International Airport and a local Publix.

Cantore himself tweeted video from Daytona Beach Shores as choppy surf ahead of the approaching Tropical Storm Nicole churned up on the beach.

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"Ocean waves rolling on to Daytona Beach Shores with nothing to stop them except what’s left of pools and concrete slabs," Cantore posted. "There are no beaches and there are no dunes. These beaches are like open wounds to the condos, homes, and hotels that line the shoreline."

Tropical Storm Nicole, currently moving westward through the Atlantic, is forecast to become a hurricane before making landfall along Florida's East Coast, possibly Wednesday or Thursday.

Current estimates put Nicole's winds at 75 mph within 36 hours, making it a Category 1 hurricane. A storm becomes a hurricane when sustained winds hit 74 mph.

Flooding impacts are possible later this week along Florida's east coast, which is still recovering from Hurricane Ian.

On Wednesday morning, Cantore was in Daytona Beach Shores with Weather Channel producer Steve Petuyerak and multimedia journalist Matt Saffer.

By Wednesday afternoon the forecast cone for Nicole had moved south of Daytona Beach and Cantore moved on to Vero Beach, according to a Volusia County emergency official.

“We did have Jim Cantore in town earlier today,” said Volusia County’s Emergency Management Director Jim Judge at a briefing Wednesday afternoon. “Now he’s down in Vero Beach, maybe that’s a good sign for Volusia County.”

Who is Jim Cantore?

Cantore, one of the best-known meteorologists on television, has become known as a harbinger of hurricane damage. He is famous, or possibly infamous, for his on-location appearances before and especially during major weather events and often puts himself seemingly in harm's way to demonstrate how dangerous a storm is.

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The Weather Channel even made fun of his rep years ago, with an advertisement showing beachgoers screaming and running away as Cantore arrived on vacation.

C. A. Bridges is a Digital Producer for the USA TODAY Network, working with multiple newsrooms across Florida. Local journalists work hard to keep you informed about the things you care about, and you can support them by subscribing to your local news organization. Read more articles by Chris here and follow him on Twitter at @cabridges

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Jim Cantore in Daytona area as Hurricane Nicole approaches