Hurricane Matthew is nearing Florida, where it threatens to hammer the peninsula’s east coast with tornadoes, wicked winds and heavy rain.
If the storm’s wrath isn’t enough on its own, the possibility of several feet of storm surge could leave hundreds of thousands of homes underwater and without power.
“We are already starting to see the impacts (from Hurricane Matthew), and it’s a monster,” Florida Gov. Rick Scott said at a Thursday evening news conference. Scott told residents in evacuation zones to go inland. “You still have time to leave. Get out. There’s no reason to take a chance.”
Reports from the storm’s path
Officials from Miami to North Carolina don’t intend to risk their residents’ safety. Residents who aren’t under mandatory evacuation orders have been warned to remain vigilant and be prepared to outmaneuver the storm, depending on its track.
Here’s what you need to know:
- The storm has killed at least 269 people in three Caribbean countries. The majority, 264 people, died in Haiti, said Civil Protection Service spokesman Joseph Edgard Celestin.
• Hurricane Matthew remains a Category 4 storm with winds of 140 mph, according to the latest National Hurricane Center advisory. As of 5 p.m. ET, Matthew was located about 100 miles east-southeast of West Palm Beach, Florida.
• President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency for Florida and South Carolina.
• Based on the latest projections, Matthew could make landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm, or it could skirt the coast and head north. While Matthew’s outer bands were hitting Miami-Dade County by mid-morning, Mayor Carlos Jimenez said there’s good news: “The probability of sustained hurricane winds has gone down 13%.” The latest advisory says hurricane-force winds will extend 60 miles from Matthew’s eye.
• Earlier, Scott offered a dire warning: “This storm will kill you.”
A direct hit by Matthew, he said, could lead to “massive destruction” on a level unseen since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Voluntary and mandatory evacuations in the state stretch from Miami to the Florida-Georgia border.
People who stayed behind stocked up on supplies and boarded up windows, as there were numerous reports of county governments, schools, cruise lines and amusement parks closing. Many residents found long gas lines. But so far, the state isn’t running short on supplies, Scott said.
Airline passengers were urged to call before leaving for the airport. Florida airports had canceled hundreds of flights, most of them in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. Fort Lauderdale closed its airport, airlines suspended operations in Miami, and Orlando’s airport was slated to close at 8 p.m. Thursday, airport officials said.
Palm Beach residents cleared many grocery store shelves ahead of the storm. Yet despite all the warnings, West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio said not everyone is listening, even with mandatory evacuation orders in place.
“More people are staying than leaving. It’s very concerning. When the winds really pick up, we will not be sending (emergency responders) out,” she said.
Airline passengers were urged to call before leaving for the airport. Florida airports had canceled hundreds of flights, most of them in Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando. Fort Lauderdale closed its airport, airlines suspended operations in Miami, and Orlando’s airport was slated to close at 8 p.m. Thursday, airport officials said.
Palm Beach residents cleared many grocery store shelves ahead of the storm. Yet despite all the warnings, West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio said not everyone is listening, even with mandatory evacuation orders in place.
“More people are staying than leaving. It’s very concerning. When the winds really pick up, we will not be sending (emergency responders) out,” she said.