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Next version
| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Hurricane Matthew: Florida hit by storm after hundreds killed in Haiti – live updates | Hurricane Matthew: Florida hit by storm after hundreds killed in Haiti – live updates |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 4.09am BST | |
| 04:09 | |
| Hurricane Nicole upgraded to Category 2 | |
| The National Hurricane Center has advised that Hurricane Nicole – hot on the heels of Hurricane Matthew – has been upgraded to Category 2 in its latest advisory. | |
| Nicole was upgraded from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane earlier on Thursday. This projection shows how the smaller storm might impact on Matthew’s path. | |
| Complicated relationship b/t Hurricanes Matthew & Nicole + high pressure. ----> increasing likelihood of S. FL impacts (again) in 5-days+ pic.twitter.com/LL90SrzLZx | |
| Nicole is currently located about 340 miles south of Bermuda with maximum sustained winds of 105 mph, but would likely to begin weakening on Friday, the NHC said. | |
| 4.01am BST | |
| 04:01 | |
| Elle Hunt | |
| Thanks for following with our coverage of the devastating Hurricane Matthew, now bearing down on Jacksonville, Florida, where the local time is approaching 11pm. This image, tweeted by local media, shows the storm looming down on Charleston. | |
| Charleston is currently a Ghost Town as #HurricaneMatthew approachesPics > https://t.co/nRSrHoPoAf pic.twitter.com/G32VvDxVuJ | |
| Described as the worst storm in over a century, Matthew is currently Category 4: the second-highest classification possible. | |
| A Category 4 storm is one with winds of between 130-156 miles per hour, causing damage to most trees and buildings. The last – and only – Category 4 hurricane to reach northeast Florida or the Georgia coast was in 1898. | |
| Category 5, of storms with winds of above 157mph, is the highest possible classification, causing “catastrophic damage”. There is a chance that Hurricane Matthew may reach that intensity. | |
| Mark Elliot of the Weather Channel, who is covering Matthew from Brunswick, GA, tonight, has tweeted a video explainer of how storm categories differ. | |
| But wind is just one aspect of damage caused by hurricanes. A storm surge of 6-10 feet is expected to occur along low-lying areas of the southeastern coastline from central Florida to South Carolina. | |
| This graph of waves 20 miles east of Cape Canaveral, Florida, shows increasing waves offshore. | |
| Meanwhile, offshore, waves increasing in advance of arrival of the core of #HurricaneMatthew (buoy ~20 mi east of Cape Canaveral) pic.twitter.com/hnebB5e0xB | |
| 3.48am BST | |
| 03:48 | |
| Here's where things stand at 11pm EDT | |
| #HurricaneMatthew is expected to make landfall tonight near the east coast of FL as a dangerous cat 4 storm. pic.twitter.com/3l1Y7SvmVa | |
| I’m now handing you over to my colleague Elle Hunt, who will be keeping you updated throughout the night as the situation develops. | |
| 3.40am BST | |
| 03:40 | |
| Richard Luscombe | |
| “Hurricane Matthew’s outer bands are giving us a lashing tonight in northern Broward County, close to the Palm Beach county line, with torrential rain crashing in waves and severe wind gusts giving the roof and the storm shutters a good rattling,” reports the Guardian’s Richard Luscombe in Coral Springs, Florida. | |
| It’s still too dangerous to venture out after a day cooped up inside, but the good news for South Florida at least is that we’re no longer under a hurricane warning and the worst appears to have passed as the storm moves north and menaces other parts of the state. | |
| In Miami-Dade county, the feeling was that the bottom third of Florida had dodged a bullet, after earlier fears the eye of the storm would “wobble” inland and make a direct hit. “Basically, the worst of the storm will be over by midnight,” mayor Carlos Gimenez announced at an evening briefing. “We do not anticipate major damage.” | |
| Further north, however, it’s a different story, and it promises to be a long night. Florida’s governor Rick Scott is warning that Brevard and Volusia counties are set to experience the worst of the wind, and even Orlando, sixty miles inland, will not be immune to Matthew’s massive wind field. | |
| Hotel rooms are scarce in Orlando tonight, thousands of evacuees from the barrier islands and coastal towns 60 miles east joining tourists who will be idle on Friday due to the closure of theme parks. Disney was closed due to weather for only the fourth time since its famed Magic Kingdom opened in 1971. | |
| 3.29am BST | 3.29am BST |
| 03:29 | 03:29 |
| The Florida coast is being pounded by winds and rain as the eye of the storm approaches landfall near Palm Beach. | The Florida coast is being pounded by winds and rain as the eye of the storm approaches landfall near Palm Beach. |
| It's a dark and stormy night as the outer edge of #HurricaneMatthew hits Palm Beach pic.twitter.com/Pkx7cmJoa1 | It's a dark and stormy night as the outer edge of #HurricaneMatthew hits Palm Beach pic.twitter.com/Pkx7cmJoa1 |
| Fox5DC reports that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is on high alert as Hurricane Matthew pounds the Florida coast. | Fox5DC reports that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is on high alert as Hurricane Matthew pounds the Florida coast. |
| FEMA’s headquarters for the federal preparations is in Southwest D.C. Inside is a buzz of activity at the National Response Coordination Center where representatives from all federal government agencies gather to coordinate logistics and plan with state and local governments. They have been at work here and around the country for days. | FEMA’s headquarters for the federal preparations is in Southwest D.C. Inside is a buzz of activity at the National Response Coordination Center where representatives from all federal government agencies gather to coordinate logistics and plan with state and local governments. They have been at work here and around the country for days. |
| “We have had boots on the ground and several personnel throughout Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina for several days co-located with their state counterparts who we are supporting,” said Rafael Lamitre, FEMA’s Director of Public Affairs. “We also have rapid response teams that we have sent from various places around the country to various areas in and around the potentially affected areas.” | “We have had boots on the ground and several personnel throughout Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina for several days co-located with their state counterparts who we are supporting,” said Rafael Lamitre, FEMA’s Director of Public Affairs. “We also have rapid response teams that we have sent from various places around the country to various areas in and around the potentially affected areas.” |
| FEMA was criticized for a slow and ineffective response after Hurricane Katrina, but said since then the agency has undergone a major culture change. Now it pre-positions resources near impacted areas and has set up two staging areas for Hurricane Matthew – in Georgia and North Carolina. | FEMA was criticized for a slow and ineffective response after Hurricane Katrina, but said since then the agency has undergone a major culture change. Now it pre-positions resources near impacted areas and has set up two staging areas for Hurricane Matthew – in Georgia and North Carolina. |
| “We have a clarity of mission now,” Lamitre said. “We now have built up an institution where we have rapid response teams able to go out. We have a philosophy of going big, going early into disasters.” | “We have a clarity of mission now,” Lamitre said. “We now have built up an institution where we have rapid response teams able to go out. We have a philosophy of going big, going early into disasters.” |
| 3.22am BST | 3.22am BST |
| 03:22 | 03:22 |
| Power is out for around 82,000 people in Palm Beach County, according to the Palm Beach Post. | Power is out for around 82,000 people in Palm Beach County, according to the Palm Beach Post. |
| As Hurricane Matthew approaches Palm Beach County, an estimated 82,000 Florida Power & Light Co. customers are without power in the company’s 35-county territory, and the storm has yet to make landfall. More than 70,000 customer outages have been restored. | As Hurricane Matthew approaches Palm Beach County, an estimated 82,000 Florida Power & Light Co. customers are without power in the company’s 35-county territory, and the storm has yet to make landfall. More than 70,000 customer outages have been restored. |
| “Once the eye hits, we will know whether it’s a restoration or a rebuild in certain areas,” said FPL spokesman Rob Gould. | “Once the eye hits, we will know whether it’s a restoration or a rebuild in certain areas,” said FPL spokesman Rob Gould. |
| You can read the whole piece here. | You can read the whole piece here. |
| 3.18am BST | 3.18am BST |
| 03:18 | 03:18 |
| The eye of Hurricane Matthew is now 65 miles from Palm Beach. | The eye of Hurricane Matthew is now 65 miles from Palm Beach. |
| #HurricaneMatthew eye now 65miles ENE of West Palm Beach. Strong hurricane force winds making their way to the coast pic.twitter.com/3bfUaR2EjK | #HurricaneMatthew eye now 65miles ENE of West Palm Beach. Strong hurricane force winds making their way to the coast pic.twitter.com/3bfUaR2EjK |
| Vanilla Ice is right in the hurricane’s path, in Palm Beach: | Vanilla Ice is right in the hurricane’s path, in Palm Beach: |
| This hurricane is going to be serious, and it's coming right at me. I am going to ride it out. https://t.co/QEEojOIGEf | This hurricane is going to be serious, and it's coming right at me. I am going to ride it out. https://t.co/QEEojOIGEf |
| It's starting to get nasty here in Palm Beach #HurricaneMatthew | It's starting to get nasty here in Palm Beach #HurricaneMatthew |
| 3.13am BST | 3.13am BST |
| 03:13 | 03:13 |
| Hurricane Matthew roiled commodities markets and forced companies from cane refiners to orange juice makers to shutter as it whipped its way toward the southeastern United States, reports the Associated Press. | Hurricane Matthew roiled commodities markets and forced companies from cane refiners to orange juice makers to shutter as it whipped its way toward the southeastern United States, reports the Associated Press. |
| Southeastern companies were closing down operations ahead of a storm that could threaten some two million tonnes of sugar and trees representing over 90 million boxes of citrus fruits in Florida. | Southeastern companies were closing down operations ahead of a storm that could threaten some two million tonnes of sugar and trees representing over 90 million boxes of citrus fruits in Florida. |
| About half a million acres of cotton were at risk from torrential rain in North and South Carolina, where farmers have already been struggling during a rainy harvest. | About half a million acres of cotton were at risk from torrential rain in North and South Carolina, where farmers have already been struggling during a rainy harvest. |
| Florida’s east coast, predominantly grapefruit country, was expected to bear the brunt of the storm. | Florida’s east coast, predominantly grapefruit country, was expected to bear the brunt of the storm. |
| 3.09am BST | 3.09am BST |
| 03:09 | 03:09 |
| Incredible footage taken from the International Space Station shows Hurricane Matthew as it passed through the Bahamas: | Incredible footage taken from the International Space Station shows Hurricane Matthew as it passed through the Bahamas: |
| Station cameras captured new views today of massive Hurricane Matthew. Matthew was moving through the Bahamas as a Category 4 hurricane. pic.twitter.com/ARD2odlCcQ | Station cameras captured new views today of massive Hurricane Matthew. Matthew was moving through the Bahamas as a Category 4 hurricane. pic.twitter.com/ARD2odlCcQ |
| 3.02am BST | 3.02am BST |
| 03:02 | 03:02 |
| Facebook has activated its “safety check-in” function for those affected by Hurricane Matthew; while AirBnB is offering free accomodation for those in areas affected by the storm. | Facebook has activated its “safety check-in” function for those affected by Hurricane Matthew; while AirBnB is offering free accomodation for those in areas affected by the storm. |
| Some areas of Florida are already experiencing flooding. The Indian River County, Florida, sheriff’s department just tweeted the following picture of flooding near US route 1: | Some areas of Florida are already experiencing flooding. The Indian River County, Florida, sheriff’s department just tweeted the following picture of flooding near US route 1: |
| Street flooding in the area of 37th Street East of US1 pic.twitter.com/H7ujPriGOz | Street flooding in the area of 37th Street East of US1 pic.twitter.com/H7ujPriGOz |
| 2.55am BST | 2.55am BST |
| 02:55 | 02:55 |
| An interesting insight into Hurricane Matthew comes from the weather buoys off the coast of Florida, which have been set up to automatically tweet statistics from their sensory equipment. | An interesting insight into Hurricane Matthew comes from the weather buoys off the coast of Florida, which have been set up to automatically tweet statistics from their sensory equipment. |
| Buoy 41114, off the coast of Fort Pierce, Florida, is reporting a wave height of 10.5 feet as of this hour’s report: | Buoy 41114, off the coast of Fort Pierce, Florida, is reporting a wave height of 10.5 feet as of this hour’s report: |
| (Met) WVHT: 10.5 ft / DPD: 9.0 s / WTMP: 83° F / 9:00p EDT | (Met) WVHT: 10.5 ft / DPD: 9.0 s / WTMP: 83° F / 9:00p EDT |
| Compared with 24 hours ago, when the wave height was at just 3.9 feet: | Compared with 24 hours ago, when the wave height was at just 3.9 feet: |
| (Met) WVHT: 3.9 ft / DPD: 10.0 s / WTMP: 84° F / 9:00p EDT | (Met) WVHT: 3.9 ft / DPD: 10.0 s / WTMP: 84° F / 9:00p EDT |
| There’s plenty of other Buoys reporting, too: | There’s plenty of other Buoys reporting, too: |
| See #HurricaneMatthew impact on ocean waves. Buoys tweeting off Florida@buoy41114 @buoy41113 @buoy41009 @buoy41010 @buoy41112 @Cincywxman pic.twitter.com/FRvbOJNjJ8 | See #HurricaneMatthew impact on ocean waves. Buoys tweeting off Florida@buoy41114 @buoy41113 @buoy41009 @buoy41010 @buoy41112 @Cincywxman pic.twitter.com/FRvbOJNjJ8 |
| 2.49am BST | 2.49am BST |
| 02:49 | 02:49 |
| Like thousands of other Americans, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton abruptly upended their plans Thursday in Florida, where Hurricane Matthew threatened to wreak havoc on final-stretch presidential campaigning in a critical swing state, reports the Associated Press. | Like thousands of other Americans, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton abruptly upended their plans Thursday in Florida, where Hurricane Matthew threatened to wreak havoc on final-stretch presidential campaigning in a critical swing state, reports the Associated Press. |
| The campaigns rushed to move staff and volunteers, close offices and cancel events in the path of the storm. And as many Floridians heeded calls to evacuate, both candidates began the delicate and difficult task of pursuing votes during a crisis. | The campaigns rushed to move staff and volunteers, close offices and cancel events in the path of the storm. And as many Floridians heeded calls to evacuate, both candidates began the delicate and difficult task of pursuing votes during a crisis. |
| Clinton’s campaign asked the state for more time to register voters a request Florida governor Rick Scott rejected and the Trump team pulled its negative TV ads. | Clinton’s campaign asked the state for more time to register voters a request Florida governor Rick Scott rejected and the Trump team pulled its negative TV ads. |
| “It looks like it’s a big one and it’s going to be a bad one,” said Trump at a town hall in New Hampshire. “Please know that we are praying for you and everyone in the path: You’ve got to take care of yourself, you’ve got to get out of the area, you’ve got to listen.” | “It looks like it’s a big one and it’s going to be a bad one,” said Trump at a town hall in New Hampshire. “Please know that we are praying for you and everyone in the path: You’ve got to take care of yourself, you’ve got to get out of the area, you’ve got to listen.” |
| The hurricane is expected to hit Trump’s prized Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach. Campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks said, “Mr. Trump spoke with employees yesterday to ensure they are safe and following instructions from local officials.” | The hurricane is expected to hit Trump’s prized Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach. Campaign spokeswoman Hope Hicks said, “Mr. Trump spoke with employees yesterday to ensure they are safe and following instructions from local officials.” |
| Clinton tweeted: “Hurricane Matthew is a major storm. ... Stay safe Florida.” | Clinton tweeted: “Hurricane Matthew is a major storm. ... Stay safe Florida.” |
| Both stayed far away, preparing for their second debate, a town hall-style faceoff on Sunday in St. Louis. Trump was holding a dry run town hall in Sandown, New Hampshire, while Clinton was speaking at fundraisers in New York. | Both stayed far away, preparing for their second debate, a town hall-style faceoff on Sunday in St. Louis. Trump was holding a dry run town hall in Sandown, New Hampshire, while Clinton was speaking at fundraisers in New York. |
| Along the Southeast coast, Matthew was expected to bring dangerous conditions to Georgia, South Carolina and, possibly, North Carolina. But it was the impact on vote-rich Florida, a must-win state for Trump, that had the campaigns on high alert. The hurricane closed in just as both sides ramped up their early-vote push and just days before a voter registration deadline. | Along the Southeast coast, Matthew was expected to bring dangerous conditions to Georgia, South Carolina and, possibly, North Carolina. But it was the impact on vote-rich Florida, a must-win state for Trump, that had the campaigns on high alert. The hurricane closed in just as both sides ramped up their early-vote push and just days before a voter registration deadline. |
| Vote-by-mail ballots are being sent to voters across the state this week, leaving the potential for ballots to arrive just as voters temporarily abandon their homes. So far, a record 2.5 million people nearly one-third of those who voted in 2012 have made requests for the early ballots. | Vote-by-mail ballots are being sent to voters across the state this week, leaving the potential for ballots to arrive just as voters temporarily abandon their homes. So far, a record 2.5 million people nearly one-third of those who voted in 2012 have made requests for the early ballots. |
| Scott said Thursday evening that he would not consider extending the 11 October voter registration deadline. | Scott said Thursday evening that he would not consider extending the 11 October voter registration deadline. |
| “Everyone has had a lot of time to register,” Scott said, adding, “I don’t intend to make any changes.” | “Everyone has had a lot of time to register,” Scott said, adding, “I don’t intend to make any changes.” |
| Scott, a Republican, is a strong supporter of GOP nominee Donald Trump and chairman of a Super PAC running Clinton-bashing television ads. | Scott, a Republican, is a strong supporter of GOP nominee Donald Trump and chairman of a Super PAC running Clinton-bashing television ads. |
| Disruptions in Florida campaigning were immediate. In Palm Beach County, local Republican Chairman Michael Barnett said Matthew already had forced cancellations, including phone-banking operations and an event where Ivanka Trump was the headliner. Local GOP officials also will miss an opportunity for outreach to Latino leaders, because an annual gala of a local Hispanic civic group was canceled. | Disruptions in Florida campaigning were immediate. In Palm Beach County, local Republican Chairman Michael Barnett said Matthew already had forced cancellations, including phone-banking operations and an event where Ivanka Trump was the headliner. Local GOP officials also will miss an opportunity for outreach to Latino leaders, because an annual gala of a local Hispanic civic group was canceled. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 3.34am BST | at 3.34am BST |
| 2.37am BST | 2.37am BST |
| 02:37 | 02:37 |
| Some more dramatic video of the storm’s impact as it blew through Haiti and the Bahamas: | Some more dramatic video of the storm’s impact as it blew through Haiti and the Bahamas: |
| New video released by US Coast Guard captures bird's-eye view of staggering damage in Haiti after Hurricane #Matthew https://t.co/6rOrfC9sBH pic.twitter.com/PLVLdY9dNO | New video released by US Coast Guard captures bird's-eye view of staggering damage in Haiti after Hurricane #Matthew https://t.co/6rOrfC9sBH pic.twitter.com/PLVLdY9dNO |
| Dramatic video shows Hurricane #Matthew blow roof off house in the Bahamas; storm hours away from Florida landfall. https://t.co/b0fVGGm4kI pic.twitter.com/tXU9IRB7Ws | Dramatic video shows Hurricane #Matthew blow roof off house in the Bahamas; storm hours away from Florida landfall. https://t.co/b0fVGGm4kI pic.twitter.com/tXU9IRB7Ws |
| 2.26am BST | 2.26am BST |
| 02:26 | 02:26 |
| Florida governor Rick Scott maintains that state and local officials are prepared for Hurricane Matthew, even as he called the storm bearing down on the state a “monster,” reports the Associated Press. | Florida governor Rick Scott maintains that state and local officials are prepared for Hurricane Matthew, even as he called the storm bearing down on the state a “monster,” reports the Associated Press. |
| “Matthew is likely to produce devastating impacts,” Scott says. | “Matthew is likely to produce devastating impacts,” Scott says. |
| Scott says people in the northeast part of the state still have time to evacuate and residents could still choose to go to a shelter. | Scott says people in the northeast part of the state still have time to evacuate and residents could still choose to go to a shelter. |
| Authorities have told roughly 1.5 million people across the state to evacuate. The mass exodus led to crammed highways, full hotels and the need to open dozens of hurricane shelters. The looming storm also has led to gas shortages, though Scott said the state still has five days’ worth of fuel supplies. | Authorities have told roughly 1.5 million people across the state to evacuate. The mass exodus led to crammed highways, full hotels and the need to open dozens of hurricane shelters. The looming storm also has led to gas shortages, though Scott said the state still has five days’ worth of fuel supplies. |
| Officials are expecting massive power outages across the region once Hurricane Matthew hits full-force. | Officials are expecting massive power outages across the region once Hurricane Matthew hits full-force. |
| Although the state has food and water supplies ready for after the storm, Scott cautioned that people need to be able to take care of themselves for the first three days. | Although the state has food and water supplies ready for after the storm, Scott cautioned that people need to be able to take care of themselves for the first three days. |
| 2.17am BST | 2.17am BST |
| 02:17 | 02:17 |
| As Hurricane Matthew approaches Florida, details are still emerging about the devastation left in the storm’s wake after it ripped through Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas. | As Hurricane Matthew approaches Florida, details are still emerging about the devastation left in the storm’s wake after it ripped through Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Bahamas. |
| The death toll in Haiti alone has reached 280, officials say, and 15,000 people have been displaced. | The death toll in Haiti alone has reached 280, officials say, and 15,000 people have been displaced. |
| The UN has described the hurricane as Haiti’s worst humanitarian crisis since the devastating earthquake six years ago. | The UN has described the hurricane as Haiti’s worst humanitarian crisis since the devastating earthquake six years ago. |
| The rains and flooding have prompted fears of a surge in the cholera epidemic that has killed almost 10,000 people since the disease was accidentally introduced to Haiti by UN peacekeepers. | The rains and flooding have prompted fears of a surge in the cholera epidemic that has killed almost 10,000 people since the disease was accidentally introduced to Haiti by UN peacekeepers. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.26am BST | at 2.26am BST |
| 2.03am BST | 2.03am BST |
| 02:03 | 02:03 |
| Philip Klotzbach, a meteorologist at Colorado State university, is tweeting some interesting historical data about Hurricane Matthew. | Philip Klotzbach, a meteorologist at Colorado State university, is tweeting some interesting historical data about Hurricane Matthew. |
| It is, he says, “now the longest-lived major hurricane forming after September 25 in the Atlantic basin on record (6.5 days)”. | It is, he says, “now the longest-lived major hurricane forming after September 25 in the Atlantic basin on record (6.5 days)”. |
| He compares the track Matthew is taking to that of 1979’s Hurricane David: | He compares the track Matthew is taking to that of 1979’s Hurricane David: |
| IMO, best single analog hurricane track to forecast track of #Matthew is Hurricane David (1979). David was a weaker hurricane, though. pic.twitter.com/QLYrDb3hBw | IMO, best single analog hurricane track to forecast track of #Matthew is Hurricane David (1979). David was a weaker hurricane, though. pic.twitter.com/QLYrDb3hBw |
| Despite David being a weaker storm than Matthew at this point in its trajectory, it was still one of the most destructive Atlantic hurricanes of all time, inflicting $95m in damage in Florida. | Despite David being a weaker storm than Matthew at this point in its trajectory, it was still one of the most destructive Atlantic hurricanes of all time, inflicting $95m in damage in Florida. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 2.26am BST | at 2.26am BST |
| 1.57am BST | 1.57am BST |
| 01:57 | 01:57 |
| Forecasters have said the major threat to the Southeast would not be the winds which newer buildings can withstand but the massive surge of seawater driven ahead of the storm that could wash over coastal communities along a 500-mile stretch from South Florida to the Charleston, South Carolina, area. | Forecasters have said the major threat to the Southeast would not be the winds which newer buildings can withstand but the massive surge of seawater driven ahead of the storm that could wash over coastal communities along a 500-mile stretch from South Florida to the Charleston, South Carolina, area. |
| Those with long memories will remember that Hurricane Sandy, four years ago this month, hit parts of New York and New Jersey with a storm surge of as high as 13 feet, which accounted for a lot of the damage it caused. | Those with long memories will remember that Hurricane Sandy, four years ago this month, hit parts of New York and New Jersey with a storm surge of as high as 13 feet, which accounted for a lot of the damage it caused. |
| Experts have said that Matthew’s storm surge could range from nine to as much as 12 feet in height. | Experts have said that Matthew’s storm surge could range from nine to as much as 12 feet in height. |
| Lenny Curry, the mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, just went on CNN to urge people in the evacuation zone to “get out now”. | Lenny Curry, the mayor of Jacksonville, Florida, just went on CNN to urge people in the evacuation zone to “get out now”. |
| “This is a storm like we haven’t seen,” he said. | “This is a storm like we haven’t seen,” he said. |
| 1.51am BST | 1.51am BST |
| 01:51 | 01:51 |
| Forecasters said it would then probably hug the coast of Georgia and South Carolina over the weekend before veering out to sea perhaps even looping back toward Florida in the middle of next week as a tropical storm, according to the Associated Press. | Forecasters said it would then probably hug the coast of Georgia and South Carolina over the weekend before veering out to sea perhaps even looping back toward Florida in the middle of next week as a tropical storm, according to the Associated Press. |
| Millions of people in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina were told to evacuate their homes, and interstate highways were turned into one-way routes to speed the exodus. Florida alone accounted for about 1.5 million of those told to clear out. | Millions of people in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina were told to evacuate their homes, and interstate highways were turned into one-way routes to speed the exodus. Florida alone accounted for about 1.5 million of those told to clear out. |
| “The storm has already killed people. We should expect the same impact in Florida,” Florida governor Rick Scott warned. | “The storm has already killed people. We should expect the same impact in Florida,” Florida governor Rick Scott warned. |
| The hurricane has picked up wind speed as it closed in, growing from a possibly devastating Category 3 storm to a potentially catastrophic Category 4. Forecasters said it could dump up to 15 inches of rain in some spots and, most crucially, cause a storm surge of between 9 and twelve feet. | The hurricane has picked up wind speed as it closed in, growing from a possibly devastating Category 3 storm to a potentially catastrophic Category 4. Forecasters said it could dump up to 15 inches of rain in some spots and, most crucially, cause a storm surge of between 9 and twelve feet. |
| Coastal PB County -- strong feeder band moving in. 50 + m.ph. wind & heavy rain likely. #HurricaneMatthew pic.twitter.com/BwJQk1gawg | Coastal PB County -- strong feeder band moving in. 50 + m.ph. wind & heavy rain likely. #HurricaneMatthew pic.twitter.com/BwJQk1gawg |
| 1.44am BST | 1.44am BST |
| 01:44 | 01:44 |
| Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s liveblog of Hurricane Matthew, which is approaching Florida after tearing through Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba, leaving more than 100 dead, according to the Associated Press, who report that Matthew is the most powerful storm to threaten the U.S. Atlantic coast in more than a decade. | Hello and welcome to the Guardian’s liveblog of Hurricane Matthew, which is approaching Florida after tearing through Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and Cuba, leaving more than 100 dead, according to the Associated Press, who report that Matthew is the most powerful storm to threaten the U.S. Atlantic coast in more than a decade. |
| “This storm’s a monster,” Florida governor Rick Scott warned Thursday evening, adding: “I’m going to pray for everybody’s safety.” | “This storm’s a monster,” Florida governor Rick Scott warned Thursday evening, adding: “I’m going to pray for everybody’s safety.” |
| The hurricane is expected to make landfall early Friday, north of West Palm Beach, which has a population of about 1.1 million people, and then slowly push north for the next 12 hours along the Interstate 95 corridor, through Cape Canaveral - where NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is located - and Jacksonville, according to the National Hurricane Center. | The hurricane is expected to make landfall early Friday, north of West Palm Beach, which has a population of about 1.1 million people, and then slowly push north for the next 12 hours along the Interstate 95 corridor, through Cape Canaveral - where NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is located - and Jacksonville, according to the National Hurricane Center. |
| #HurricaneMatthew is approaching. Here is the latest from our radar. pic.twitter.com/4lG3KDUUwF | #HurricaneMatthew is approaching. Here is the latest from our radar. pic.twitter.com/4lG3KDUUwF |
| President Obama declared a state of emergency in Florida and South Carolina earlier on Thursday as the storm approached American shores. | President Obama declared a state of emergency in Florida and South Carolina earlier on Thursday as the storm approached American shores. |
| We’ll have live updates as we get them. | We’ll have live updates as we get them. |
| Updated | Updated |
| at 1.48am BST | at 1.48am BST |