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Hurricane Matthew: storm weakens but continues to lash Florida and Georgia – live Hurricane Matthew: storm weakens but continues to lash Florida and Georgia – live
(35 minutes later)
11.32pm BST
23:32
The American Red Cross has mobilized more than 1800 people to help with Hurricane Matthew response:
1,800+ Red Crossers have mobilized to support evacuation shelters & #HurricaneMatthew response. Ways you can help: https://t.co/watYvIGLAh pic.twitter.com/Ys3YBYLmaG
They say there is an “urgent need” for blood and platelet donations:
In parts of the country unaffected by the storm, the Red Cross strongly urges eligible individuals to please give blood or platelets now to help ensure we have a readily available blood supply for patients in need.
Even before the threat of Hurricane Matthew, there was an urgent need for donors of all blood types, especially type O. Appointments can be made by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).
11.17pm BST
23:17
South Carolina governor Nikki Haley just gave a press conference.
She warned that storm surges were beginning to take effect, but said that 350,000 people had been successfully evacuated from coastal areas, and 2500 national guardsmen had been activated to deal with the storm’s effects.
“Most counties have curfews in place, so we are asking citizens to heed the warnings of your county,” Haley said. “Really the best thing to do is hunker down, stay in a safe place, don’t try to move around, make sure you have your cellphones charged, and be prepared for flooding if you are in a low-lying area.”
In several counties, Haley said, the storm would hit at around midnight to 1am EST, which could be problematic because that would coincide with high tide, increasing the potential impact of storm surge.
10.56pm BST10.56pm BST
22:5622:56
Waffle House - the Georgia-headquartered fast food chain which prides itself on keeping locations open even in dire conditions, has closed 25 restaurants in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, it announced in a tweet earlier today:Waffle House - the Georgia-headquartered fast food chain which prides itself on keeping locations open even in dire conditions, has closed 25 restaurants in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, it announced in a tweet earlier today:
Update - 25 restaurants closed in FL, GA & SC #MatthewUpdate - 25 restaurants closed in FL, GA & SC #Matthew
This actually has has some significance. Waffle House is so reliably open that the Federal Emergency Managemant Agency (FEMA) uses the “Waffle House Index” as an unofficial measure of calamity, Business Insider reports.This actually has has some significance. Waffle House is so reliably open that the Federal Emergency Managemant Agency (FEMA) uses the “Waffle House Index” as an unofficial measure of calamity, Business Insider reports.
Here’s the gist of it: Waffle House restaurants notoriously stay open during natural disasters. So if the diner closes during an event, that suggests it was a really bad natural disaster with devastating effects on the economy. And on the flip side, if it stays open and serving a full menu, damage was relatively limited.Here’s the gist of it: Waffle House restaurants notoriously stay open during natural disasters. So if the diner closes during an event, that suggests it was a really bad natural disaster with devastating effects on the economy. And on the flip side, if it stays open and serving a full menu, damage was relatively limited.
As a historical reference point: after 2011’s Hurricane Irene, 22 Waffle Houses lost power in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. Only one wasn’t open by the Wednesday after the storm passed through — a particularly hard hit location in coastal Virginia.As a historical reference point: after 2011’s Hurricane Irene, 22 Waffle Houses lost power in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware. Only one wasn’t open by the Wednesday after the storm passed through — a particularly hard hit location in coastal Virginia.
“If you get [to a place where a disaster hit] and the Waffle House is closed? That’s really bad,” said FEMA administrator Craig Fugate back in 2011.“If you get [to a place where a disaster hit] and the Waffle House is closed? That’s really bad,” said FEMA administrator Craig Fugate back in 2011.
You can read the whole piece here.You can read the whole piece here.
10.38pm BST10.38pm BST
22:3822:38
US death toll rises to fourUS death toll rises to four
An elderly couple in St Lucie county who had been taken to hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning after running a generator in their home have died.An elderly couple in St Lucie county who had been taken to hospital with carbon monoxide poisoning after running a generator in their home have died.
That takes the death toll in the US from Hurricane Matthew to four.That takes the death toll in the US from Hurricane Matthew to four.
So far, four deaths can be attributed to #HurricaneMatthew -- 3 in St Luicie Co., 1 in Volusia Co.So far, four deaths can be attributed to #HurricaneMatthew -- 3 in St Luicie Co., 1 in Volusia Co.
St Lucie county tweeted the following advice:St Lucie county tweeted the following advice:
Please if you are using generators - do not use them indoors. Keep them as far away from the home as possible #HurricaneMatthewPlease if you are using generators - do not use them indoors. Keep them as far away from the home as possible #HurricaneMatthew
10.28pm BST10.28pm BST
22:2822:28
The mayor of tiny Tybee Island, Georgia, was so worried about his constituents that he was calling them personally, pleading with them to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Matthew. But the beer kept flowing at Calvin Ratterree’s bar, where about a dozen holdouts gathered for lunch, reports the Associated Press.The mayor of tiny Tybee Island, Georgia, was so worried about his constituents that he was calling them personally, pleading with them to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Matthew. But the beer kept flowing at Calvin Ratterree’s bar, where about a dozen holdouts gathered for lunch, reports the Associated Press.
“I’m worried, but we’ve got friends across the street with a third-floor condo,” said Ratteree, who owns Nickie’s 1971 bar about a block from Georgia’s largest public beach. “I’m committed. I’d rather be here with the people that support me and need me.”“I’m worried, but we’ve got friends across the street with a third-floor condo,” said Ratteree, who owns Nickie’s 1971 bar about a block from Georgia’s largest public beach. “I’m committed. I’d rather be here with the people that support me and need me.”
The 3,000 people who live on Tybee Island, 18 miles east of Savannah, were ordered to evacuate Wednesday. Most left, some of them hitting the road at the last-minute Friday as Matthew churned toward Georgia from the coast of Florida.The 3,000 people who live on Tybee Island, 18 miles east of Savannah, were ordered to evacuate Wednesday. Most left, some of them hitting the road at the last-minute Friday as Matthew churned toward Georgia from the coast of Florida.
But some insisted on riding out the storm, much to the frustration of Mayor Jason Buelterman. He personally called some of the holdouts, hoping to persuade them to move inland.But some insisted on riding out the storm, much to the frustration of Mayor Jason Buelterman. He personally called some of the holdouts, hoping to persuade them to move inland.
“This is what happens when you don’t have a hurricane for 100 years,” Buelterman said. “People get complacent. They just don’t know. Thankfully, it’s a very small minority.”“This is what happens when you don’t have a hurricane for 100 years,” Buelterman said. “People get complacent. They just don’t know. Thankfully, it’s a very small minority.”
Among those Buelterman called was Steve Todd, who was having a drink with neighbors at Ratterree’s bar. Todd made sure his wife and child and their two dogs evacuated. He said he stayed behind to guard his home and belongings, fearing he otherwise might not be able to return for a week or more.Among those Buelterman called was Steve Todd, who was having a drink with neighbors at Ratterree’s bar. Todd made sure his wife and child and their two dogs evacuated. He said he stayed behind to guard his home and belongings, fearing he otherwise might not be able to return for a week or more.
“We’re at a really safe building, probably one of the safest on Tybee,” Todd said.“We’re at a really safe building, probably one of the safest on Tybee,” Todd said.
Others weren’t taking chances.Others weren’t taking chances.
Jeff Dickey hefted a diesel-powered generator into his pickup truck Friday morning outside his waterfront home. He had hoped Matthew would take a turn away from shore, as other storms have in the past.Jeff Dickey hefted a diesel-powered generator into his pickup truck Friday morning outside his waterfront home. He had hoped Matthew would take a turn away from shore, as other storms have in the past.
“We kind of tried to wait to see if it will tilt more to the east,” Dickey said. “But it’s go time.”“We kind of tried to wait to see if it will tilt more to the east,” Dickey said. “But it’s go time.”
10.12pm BST10.12pm BST
22:1222:12
National Hurricane Center downgrades Matthew to Cat 2National Hurricane Center downgrades Matthew to Cat 2
Hurricane Matthew has been downgraded to a Category 2 storm, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center issued just now.Hurricane Matthew has been downgraded to a Category 2 storm, according to the latest update from the National Hurricane Center issued just now.
In a release, the center said that “we have been very fortunate that Matthew’s strongest winds have remained a short distance offshore of the Florida Coast thus far, but this should not be a reason to let down our guard,” adding that only a small deviation to the left of the forecast track could bring the winds onshore.In a release, the center said that “we have been very fortunate that Matthew’s strongest winds have remained a short distance offshore of the Florida Coast thus far, but this should not be a reason to let down our guard,” adding that only a small deviation to the left of the forecast track could bring the winds onshore.
The western eyewall of the storm, which contains the strongest winds, is still expected to move “over or very near” the coast of north-eastern Florida and Georgia tonight.The western eyewall of the storm, which contains the strongest winds, is still expected to move “over or very near” the coast of north-eastern Florida and Georgia tonight.
10.03pm BST10.03pm BST
22:0322:03
Some pictures of the flooding on Florida’s Atlantic coast as Hurricane Matthew slams low-lying towns with heavy rain and heavy storm-surge:Some pictures of the flooding on Florida’s Atlantic coast as Hurricane Matthew slams low-lying towns with heavy rain and heavy storm-surge:
9.47pm BST9.47pm BST
21:4721:47
The US Geological Survey (USGS) is working to try to work out what effect this storm could have on coastal erosion.The US Geological Survey (USGS) is working to try to work out what effect this storm could have on coastal erosion.
In a release, Hilary Stockdon, a research oceanographer with the USGS, said that “strong winds will create dangerous waves and surge over a large stretch of the coastline, leading to extensive beach and dune erosion.”In a release, Hilary Stockdon, a research oceanographer with the USGS, said that “strong winds will create dangerous waves and surge over a large stretch of the coastline, leading to extensive beach and dune erosion.”
The report continues:The report continues:
Results of the modeling indicate Hurricane Matthew could have a significant impact on the beaches and dunes of the Southeastern United States.Results of the modeling indicate Hurricane Matthew could have a significant impact on the beaches and dunes of the Southeastern United States.
As of Thursday morning, the coastal change model estimates that Florida’s large eastern coastline has an 80-percent likely chance of beach erosion from Miami to the state border.As of Thursday morning, the coastal change model estimates that Florida’s large eastern coastline has an 80-percent likely chance of beach erosion from Miami to the state border.
Georgia’s smaller coastline is estimated to have a 95-percent likely chance of beach erosion while South Carolina has an 85-percent likely chance of experiencing beach erosion across it’s coastline. Because the projections are based on storm-surge forecasts, they change each time the storm surge forecast is updated.Georgia’s smaller coastline is estimated to have a 95-percent likely chance of beach erosion while South Carolina has an 85-percent likely chance of experiencing beach erosion across it’s coastline. Because the projections are based on storm-surge forecasts, they change each time the storm surge forecast is updated.
Beach erosion is only the first level of damage a major storm can cause, the USGS said.Beach erosion is only the first level of damage a major storm can cause, the USGS said.
As waves and surge reach higher than the top of the dune, overwash occurs, often transporting large amounts of sand across coastal environments, depositing sand inland and causing significant changes to the landscape.As waves and surge reach higher than the top of the dune, overwash occurs, often transporting large amounts of sand across coastal environments, depositing sand inland and causing significant changes to the landscape.
A real-time USGS map of the coastal change hazards can be found here.A real-time USGS map of the coastal change hazards can be found here.
9.34pm BST9.34pm BST
21:3421:34
More than 1m people in Florida are now without power, the Associated Press is reporting.More than 1m people in Florida are now without power, the Associated Press is reporting.
State officials released updated totals on Friday that showed that the powerful Category 3 storm had knocked out electricity over a wide stretch of the state’s eastern coast.State officials released updated totals on Friday that showed that the powerful Category 3 storm had knocked out electricity over a wide stretch of the state’s eastern coast.
Most of the customers in Flagler and Volusia County the home to Daytona Beach were without power. Other hard hit areas include Brevard and Indian River counties.Most of the customers in Flagler and Volusia County the home to Daytona Beach were without power. Other hard hit areas include Brevard and Indian River counties.
The storm was strong enough to also cause outages in Central Florida. More than 100,000 who live in the Orlando area are without electricity.The storm was strong enough to also cause outages in Central Florida. More than 100,000 who live in the Orlando area are without electricity.
In Jacksonville Beach, currently close to the storm’s eye-wall, parts of the pier appear to have been ripped apart by the stormy seas:In Jacksonville Beach, currently close to the storm’s eye-wall, parts of the pier appear to have been ripped apart by the stormy seas:
HAPPENING NOW: Parts of Jacksonville Beach Pier have been ripped away into ocean. @wjxt4 #HurricaneMatthew pic.twitter.com/ZK3dRPgwrvHAPPENING NOW: Parts of Jacksonville Beach Pier have been ripped away into ocean. @wjxt4 #HurricaneMatthew pic.twitter.com/ZK3dRPgwrv
9.24pm BST9.24pm BST
21:2421:24
Some more granular detail on what to expect over the next day or so from the National Hurricane Center.Some more granular detail on what to expect over the next day or so from the National Hurricane Center.
Matthew is expected to change little in intensity during the next 6 to 12 hours, but it should begin to weaken at a faster pace in 24 hours.Matthew is expected to change little in intensity during the next 6 to 12 hours, but it should begin to weaken at a faster pace in 24 hours.
Matthew is reaching the northwestern edge of the subtropical ridge and encounter the mid-latitude westerlies. This flow pattern should steer the hurricane northward and then northeastward during the next 36 hours. After that time, the flow pattern is forecast to change again and a weakening Matthew should then turn southward and southwestward.Matthew is reaching the northwestern edge of the subtropical ridge and encounter the mid-latitude westerlies. This flow pattern should steer the hurricane northward and then northeastward during the next 36 hours. After that time, the flow pattern is forecast to change again and a weakening Matthew should then turn southward and southwestward.
We have been very fortunate that Matthew’s category 3 winds have remained a short distance offshore of the Florida Coast thus far, but this should not be a reason to let down our guard. Only a small deviation to the left of the forecast track could bring these winds onshore.We have been very fortunate that Matthew’s category 3 winds have remained a short distance offshore of the Florida Coast thus far, but this should not be a reason to let down our guard. Only a small deviation to the left of the forecast track could bring these winds onshore.
The key takeaways:The key takeaways:
UpdatedUpdated
at 9.25pm BSTat 9.25pm BST
9.20pm BST
21:20
Second US death as a result of Hurricane Matthew
A woman in Volusia County, Florida, was killed by a falling tree after going out to feed her animals, officials said.
8.56pm BST
20:56
So far, Hurricane Matthew has spared Florida its worst winds, with the eye-wall only glancingly striking parts of the coast, Dr Steven Godby, an expert on natural hazards at Nottingham Trent University, told the Guardian.
Matthew is grazing the coast of Florida without quite making landfall as the forecast models have been predicting and, if this remains the case, then the Florida coast will be spared the most powerful winds which are wrapped around the storm’s inner core.
On the downside this means that the north Florida and Georgia coastlines can expect several hours of high winds, enough to cause structural damage and affect power supplies.
A direct hit on the coast would have brought far more damage but this scenario means a wider area will be affected.
However, Godby said that a wobble to the west by 20-30 miles would bring the most powerful winds around the eye of Matthew ashore.
A very large hurricane #Matthew continues to rotate northward along the east cost of Florida Friday afternoon. pic.twitter.com/1b5ckfEzLL
8.46pm BST
20:46
According to the latest National Hurricane Center position update, issued at 3PM EST, the center of Hurricane Matthew is about 25 miles off the east coast of Florida between St Augustine and Jacksonville, and is currently moving north/northwest at 12 miles an hour.
This is the opposite view @RussellANjax had. People looking out from St. Augustine B&B at rising water. @ActionNewsJax #HurricaneMatthew pic.twitter.com/ahdB6X7izQ
Its maximum sustained wind speed is 115 miles per hour, the NHC said.
8.39pm BST
20:39
It’s not just people who need to hunker down for a storm like Hurricane Matthew: zoos and wildlife parks face unique challenges in keeping their animals safe from the storm - and from each other - in confined spaces while they wait for the storm to pass.
St Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park in St Augustine, Florida, has moved all its birds and mammals to the concrete safety of the Komodo Dragon building, and the park has been giving regular updates via its Facebook page:
8.22pm BST
20:22
Nicky Woolf here, taking over from my colleague Jessica Glenza.
Hurricane Matthew’s trail of destruction in Haiti has stunned those viewing the aftermath, with the number of dead soaring as high as 842.
Tens of thousands have been made homeless, and crops have been destroyed.
With fatalities mounting, various government agencies and committees differed on total deaths. A Reuters count of deaths reported by civil protection and local officials put the toll at 842.
Hurricane Matthew arrived thrashing at the door of Rosemika’s house in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti, at 6am on Tuesday, the Guardian’s Sam Jones reports.
“It happened so quickly and suddenly,” the 10-year-old told aid workers. “I heard my neighbour screaming: ‘Water! Water everywhere!’ It had completely surrounded us.”
Rosemika and her brothers and sisters ran, terrified, to the sanctuary of the hills. Like some of her friends in Haiti’s Ouest department, they lost their home to the fury of the wind and the rain.
The water “was like a monster, hitting everything violently,” she said.
According to a release from the charity Unicef, As many as 500,000 children live in the Grande Anse and Grand South areas of southern Haiti which were worst hit by the storm. According to the release:
Three days after the storm, it remains unclear how many of them need urgent assistance as damage to road infrastructure continues to hamper assessment and relief efforts.
“We’re still far from having a full picture of the extent of the damage,” said Marc Vincent, Unicef Representative in Haiti. “We are hoping for the best, but bracing for the worst.”
Up to 80 per cent of homes in the south are reportedly damaged and nearly 16,000 people are staying in temporary shelters. Some 175 schools are believed to have sustained heavy damage and at least 150 schools throughout the country are being used to shelter evacuees.
7.56pm BST
19:56
Dr. Rick Knabb of the National Hurricane Center and storm surge team lead Jamie Rhome just gave an update on Hurricane Matthew’s impacts along the east coast, reiterating their warning to leave evacuation zones if possible.
“Unfortunately, the track just offshore in Florida gave people the impression that, ‘Ooo, we’ve dodged a bullet here,’” said Jamie Rhome. That was not the case, he said. “Clearly, you’re seeing the flooding and Jacksonville and Georgia.”
Knabb said he had also seen people assume storm surge risk was not as great if low tide occurred when the storm hit. In fact, the National Hurricane Center calculates tides with its storm surge predictions, so ranges of 6-9 ft, which is the current prediction for Flagler Beach, Florida, already consider low and high tides.
“The threat is real – again if you’ve been told by your emergency manager to evacuate – do so,” said Knabb.
7.46pm BST
19:46
We’re now listening to an update from Dr. Rick Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center in Florida. Watch with us via the Periscope link below.
Join @NHCDirector Dr. Rick Knabb live on Periscope at 2:40 p.m. EDT this afternoon for the latest on #Matthew https://t.co/Bx7unjQdO1 @NOAA pic.twitter.com/xZSolueiNL
7.36pm BST
19:36
Even though millions of residents along the east coast received orders to evacuate, not all heeded those warnings. Among them is Arthur Cohen, 63, a Jacksonville Beach resident riding out the storm. Cohen described the decision of whether to follow evacuation orders as an emotional one.
“I was feeling good initially, a little anxious yesterday,” said Cohen. “But then, when I saw the further forecast and spoke to people about the building, I felt good again, and I feel very good now. I am very safe.”
Cohen also sent The Guardian a video from his home where waves can be seen crashing over nearby dunes and water filling city streets.
“Well, I’m in a high rise condominium that’s newly built and I’m in the southwest corner 10 stories high, and I’m not concerned about the storm surge affecting us,” he said.
“We’re seeing small waves now in the street where it’s coming over the dunes and into the street and flooding 1st Avenue here.”
7.11pm BST
19:11
We just received an update from the National Hurricane Center on Hurricane Matthew’s projected path.
Right now, the hurricane is expected to hug the coast, moving northwest along the Florida-Georgia coastline as it weakens over the next two days. The hurricane may make landfall in the next few hours.
Matthew is still a category three hurricane, with sustained winds at 115 mph.
Near St. Augustine, the storm surge has reached 3.11 ft above the normal high water mark for the area, and wind gusts have reached 84 mph.
Nearby Flagler Beach may see storm surge of up to 9ft, according to this latest forecast, and beaches as far as North Carolina could see up to 4 ft storm surge.
“There is a danger of life-threatening inundation during the next 36 hours along the Florida northeast coast, the Georgia coast, the South Carolina coast, and the North Carolina coast from Cocoa Beach, Florida, to Cape Fear, North Carolina,” wrote forecaster Lixion Avila.
Updated
at 7.26pm BST
5.56pm BST
17:56
Further south in Titusville, west of Cape Canaveral and south of Daytona, residents are surveying the damage left by Matthew, even without a “direct hit”.
Brian Farmer takes photos in the Bay Towers apartments in Titusville where #HurricaneMatthew tore the roof off, at least 50 displaced pic.twitter.com/eaVHBsYGDO