Florida is getting ready for Hurricane Matthew, which will be the strongest storm to hit the state in over a decade. Category 4 Hurricane Matthew is headed towards Florida after making a slight shift westward, putting the state’s Atlantic Coast on high alert as the storm heads its way.
On Tuesday morning, the storm made landfall in Haiti and began traveling through the Caribbean, leaving a path of destruction in a country which is still recovering from a devastating earthquake which hit six years ago.
Matthew is making its way through the Caribbean, dumping heavy rains on Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba. The storm had sustained winds of 145 miles per hour and was headed north towards the U.S., where it will make landfall by Thursday.
Initially, Matthew was predicted to just slightly graze the Atlantic Coast of Florida, but now the storm will cover much of the Atlantic Coast and parts of Central Florida.
As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, the storm was hammering the eastern tip Cuba.
Scott declared a State of Emergency Monday for the entire state because of the impending Hurricane Matthew.
Gov. Rick Scott spent much of Tuesday meeting and speaking with state and local officials to discuss hurricane preparation.
“Hurricane Matthew is a deadly storm and has already killed multiple people,” Scott said in a statement released Tuesday. Our number one priority is to protect life and we will continue to communicate with all 67 Florida counties to ensure critical needs are met. At this time, we cannot focus on the exact track of this storm. We know that it will be very close to our state and any small deviation from its track could mean a catastrophic change along Florida’s east coast. That is why everyone in our state must prepare today for a direct hit.”
The governor urged Floridians to create an emergency preparedness plan and be ready for the worst case scenario with Hurricane Matthew.
Some people were being evacuated in certain parts of Florida. Gov. Scott said the Florida Department of Transportation would be working to clear roads to make sure people can be moved to safety in case of evacuation.
The National Guard activated 200 members Tuesday and has over 6,000 members ready to be deployed if necessary.
Utility companies were also working to prepare resources so they could respond quickly to power outages.
School districts had already announced closures for the end of the week as a result of Hurricane Matthew.
“Again, everyone in our state must take this seriously now,” Scott said. “We want to protect all life and it is critical that all residents and visitors take appropriate life saving measures now.”
Reach reporter Allison Nielsen by email at allison@sunshinestatenews.com or follow her on Twitter: @AllisonNielsen.
