It’s coming and people in the states are being strongly urged to evacuate immediately. About 2 million people have been told they should head inland ahead of Hurricane Matthew in an effort to avoid the most powerful storm to threaten the Atlantic coast in more than 10 years.
Matthew killed at least 16 people in the Caribbean as made its way through Haiti, Cuba and the Bahamas and now the storm is forecast to move through much of the Florida coast tonight, potentially as a Category 4 storm with 210 km/h winds, and any slight deviation could mean landfall or it heading farther out to sea.
(In the video below: Floridians are bracing for Hurricane Matthew as the storm makes its way to the US East Coast — Florida Gov. Rick Scott says residents should prepare for a direct hit. People have 24 hours to find shelter or evacuate.Scott says having a plan could make the difference between life and death).
Forecasters say, wherever it exactly lands, it is going to be close enough to wreak havoc along the lower part of the East Coast, with up to 15 inches in rain in some spots. Storm surge of 5 to 8 feet was expected along the coast from central Florida into Georgia.
CURRENT STATUS:
Hurricane Matthew is bearing down currently on the northwest Bahamas through the capital of Nassau as a reintensifying Category 3 hurricane. Matthew’s tropical storm-force wind field (at least 39 mph sustained winds) extends up to 160 miles from the center, and hurricane-force winds extend up to 40 miles from the center.
Hurricane warnings have been extended northward to St. Simons Island and Brunswick, Georgia. This includes Orlando and Jacksonville, Florida.
Hurricane watches have been extended to just north of Charleston, South Carolina. This includes Savannah, Georgia andHilton Head Island, South Carolina.
A hurricane warning remains in effect along the entire east coast of Florida, as well as the central and northwest Bahamas.
VIDEO SOURCE: Sequence Media Group
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