Approximately 1.5 million people are being evacuated from coastal communities in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina, as the storm has regained strength on its path north, toward the US. Hurricane Matthew has already caused at least 264 deaths in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and that number is expected to rise as aid workers continue recovery efforts.
— TheRealPhylicia_ (@_YoungNGettnIt) October 6, 2016
"It's wiped out. Barely one percent of houses are standing. The people are alive…they survived. But soon they may starve. They're cut off,” the Haitian Health Foundation told ABC News.
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) October 5, 2016
Hurricane conditions are expected to reach Florida by Thursday evening, and the governor did not mince words in his plea for residents to flee to safety. He asserted that "this is not something you should take a chance with, time is running out" and exclaimed that there are "no excuses" for staying behind.
"You need to leave now," he demanded. "Evacuate, evacuate, evacuate."
Florida is expecting up to eight inches of rain and winds of up to 125 mph. Coastal areas have been warned that there could be a storm surge of five to nine feet above sea level, with even larger waves.
— Scott Eddy (@MrScottEddy) October 6, 2016
Georgia and South Carolina are expected to see hurricane conditions by early Saturday.
On Thursday afternoon, US President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency in Florida. Some 2,500 active members of the National Guard have been deployed to the state to assist with evacuations.
“The president's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures,” a statement from the White House press office read.
Walt Disney theme parks, as well as SeaWorld and Universal Studios have all announced that they will be closing at 5 PM on Thursday and remain closed through Friday. Parks have not closed down for a weather event since Hurricane Charley twelve years ago.
