Hurricane Matthew Update: 7:13 PM South Florida Spared! Focus Moves To Central And North Coast!
Hurricane Matthew Update: 7:13 PM South Florida Spared! Focus Moves To Central And North Coast!
Hurricane Matthew, held responsible for killing at least 108 in Haiti, started battering Florida Thursday as residents up and down the coast braced for what could be the first strike by a major storm in a decade.
At 3 p.m., the storm was approximately parallel to the Miami-Dade and Broward county line, sizzling toward Freeport at about 14 mph.
“We know how strong the winds are. This is a Category 4 hurricane and it’s able to push the ocean around quite a bit,” National Hurricane Center Director Rick Knabb said, urging Floridians to stay put. “From this point forward, there’s just not much good to be gained from being out on the roads.”
The National Hurricane Center stated in their latest advisory that sustained wind speeds remained at 140 mph, but cautioned winds could continue to increase through the day. Tropical storm force winds should start pounding the state in the next several hours, they stated.
At 2 p.m, a gauge at the lighthouse at Fowey Rock off Cape Florida recorded 36 mph winds, with a peak gust earlier in the day.
As the storm neared the coast Thursday afternoon, Florida started to lock down. Disney World announced it would shut down at 5 p.m. and continue to be closed Friday, the first time since Hurricane Wilma more than a decade ago. Florida Power & Light shut down its St. Lucie nuclear power plant, just south of Ft. Pierce, at 11 a.m., and airports in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando closed. Broward County’s sheriff closed roads at 3 p.m., although he stated drivers would not be ticketed.
Nearly 3,000 folks fled vulnerable homes – Gov. Rick Scott cautioned the state could see its biggest evacuation ever – while President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency.
Storm surge churned up by the powerful storm is probably to be severe. Strong winds – hurricane force winds spread across 120 miles – could also strike well inland, authorities stated, so residents need to heed evacuation orders, especially those living in mobile homes.
FPL warned that up to 2.5 million customers could lose power, with thousands already without service in Miami-Dade and Broward. Residents of highrises should also remember that winds become stronger higher up. Anyone above 25 to 30 stories could feel winds a category higher than at ground level, they stated.
After Friday, Matthew is anticipated to start turning to the east, then get caught in westerly winds. While its future path remains unsure, computer models are currently predicting a scary scenario: a possibly double whammy with the storm striking the Bahamas and Florida twice because of a seasonal Bermuda High blocking a northward path.
As the storm neared the coast Thursday afternoon, Florida started to lock down. Disney World announced it would shut down at 5 p.m. and continue to be closed Friday, the first time since Hurricane Wilma more than a decade ago. Florida Power & Light shut down its St. Lucie nuclear power plant, just south of Ft. Pierce, at 11 a.m., and airports in Fort Lauderdale and Orlando closed. Broward County’s sheriff closed roads at 3 p.m., although he stated drivers would not be ticketed.
Nearly 3,000 folks fled vulnerable homes – Gov. Rick Scott cautioned the state could see its biggest evacuation ever – while President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency.
Storm surge churned up by the powerful storm is probably to be severe. Strong winds – hurricane force winds spread across 120 miles – could also strike well inland, authorities stated, so residents need to heed evacuation orders, especially those living in mobile homes.
FPL warned that up to 2.5 million customers could lose power, with thousands already without service in Miami-Dade and Broward. Residents of highrises should also remember that winds become stronger higher up. Anyone above 25 to 30 stories could feel winds a category higher than at ground level, they stated.
After Friday, Matthew is anticipated to start turning to the east, then get caught in westerly winds. While its future path remains unsure, computer models are currently predicting a scary scenario: a possibly double whammy with the storm striking the Bahamas and Florida twice because of a seasonal Bermuda High blocking a northward path.
