At least four dead as Tropical Storm Nicole’s wind and rain lash Florida

Storm, which has weakened from hurricane force, is forecast to head into Georgia and the Carolinas later Thursday and Friday

The death toll from Tropical Storm Nicole rose to at least four on Thursday after the rare November hurricane battered Florida with strong winds and flooding, then weakened into a rainmaker on course for Georgia and the Carolinas.

The late-season cyclone made landfall close to Vero Beach on Florida's east coast at about 3am, delivering 75mph winds and a storm surge that collapsed buildings into the ocean and swept away roads as far north as Daytona Beach.