Florida's "most dangerous" storm nears (Updated)
Florida is facing the most dangerous storm in its history as Hurricane Matthew, now a Category 3 storm, barrels in from the Atlantic, but not everyone is leaving coastal areas, putting their lives at risk.
Florida is facing the most dangerous storm in its history as Hurricane Matthew, now a Category 3 storm, barrels in from the Atlantic, but not everyone is leaving coastal areas, putting their lives at risk.
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15:40 update
The US National Hurricane Centre has just downgraded Matthew to a Category 3 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of about 190km/hour. It is still about 70 kilometres offshore, but sustained winds of 70 - 80km/hour have been reported in the Melbourne, West Palm Beach area north of Miami.
The big concern now, according to the Weather Channel is a "dangerous storm surge, destructive winds and flooding rainfall stretching into Georgia and South Carolina by the weekend."
What's it like to fly into the eye of Hurricane Matthew. Take a look for yourself:
Morning story
US coast evacuated as historic hurricane bears down
Miami, Oct 7, 2016, AFP – Florida is facing the most dangerous storm in its history as Hurricane Matthew barrels in from the Atlantic threatening coastal cities with surging tides, torrential rain and 130 mile-an-hour winds.
After cutting a deadly swath across the Caribbean and leaving at least 264 dead in Haiti, the Category Four storm was to hit the southeastern United States early Friday local time.
Over the course of the day it will scour its way up a 600-mile strip of coast from Boca Raton in Florida to just north of Charleston, South Carolina, driving seawater and heavy rain inland.
People drive out of the Orlando area in Kissimmee, Florida in preparation for the landfall of Hurricane Matthew, on October 6, 2016. Some three million people on the US southeast coast faced an urgent evacuation order Thursday as monstrous Hurricane Matthew bore down for a direct hit on Florida. / AFP PHOTO / Gregg Newton
Evacuation orders were issued for areas covering at least three million residents and major cities like Jacksonville, Florida and Savannah, Georgia lay in the path of the terrible storm.
Matthew has already battered Haiti, Jamaica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas and US officials were taking no chances, warning that loss of life is a virtual certainty.
"This storm is a monster," declared Florida's Governor Rick Scott. "I want everybody to survive this. We can rebuild homes. We can rebuild businesses ... We can't rebuild a life."
Matthew was churning over the ocean just off Grand Bahama Island at 8:00 pm on Thursday (0000 GMT) and heading towards Florida and South Carolina at 20 kilometres per hour.
People leave Disney's Magic Kingdom theme park, in heavy rain, after it closed in Orlando, Florida in preparation for the landfall of Hurricane Matthew, on October 6, 2016. / AFP PHOTO / Gregg Newton
By 2:00 am on Friday it is expected to be off Port St Lucie, threatening Florida's beaches and ports with sustained winds of up to 219 kilometres-per-hour and gusts of up to 257.
"And when you get the wind you will get immediate flooding, strong rip current, beach erosion. The risk of tornados," Scott warned.
"Think about this: 11 feet (3.35 metres) of possible storm surge. And on top of that, waves. So if you are close, you could have the storm surge and waves over your roof."
Highways were jammed with people streaming inland to escape the storm, forecast to be strong enough to snap trees and blow away roofs or entire houses.
As US gas stations ran dry, frantic shoppers flocked to stores for batteries, transistor radios, bread, canned goods, bottled water, ice and pet food.
Officials complained a worrying number of people were not heeding evacuation orders, and many communities set up storm shelters.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students pass the time by playing cards at public shelter set up at Mainland High School, October 6, 2016 in Jacksonville, Florida. With Hurricane Matthew approaching the Atlantic coast of the United States, the governors of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina have all declared states of emergencies. / AFP PHOTO / Drew Angerer
The fire service in St Augustine, northern Florida, issued a video message on Facebook warning that damage to the city was expected to be "catastrophic" and urging all holdouts to leave their homes.
"We as a city are evacuating," said Fire Chief Carlos Aviles. "I cannot emphasise enough: we are encouraging you to leave."
"If you are choosing to stay in St Augustine, you are choosing to do so at your own risk. There will be no public safety personnel to assist you."
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