Matthew is now a Category 3 storm, but is still packing 120 MPH winds and is moving north-northwest at 13 mph, threatening widestread coastal flooding, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Matthew’s eyewall is within miles of Florida coast.
Dayton Beach is currently being hit the hardest, according to CNN.com.
Storm surge is the concern, and the conditions will be increasing within the next few hours.
For those who have not evacuated – “Hunker down, stay put,” is the message from authorities, “and prepare yourself for the storm.”
Forecasters say Matthew will move off the Southeast coast late this weekend.
According to Chris Dolce, of the Weather Channel, Hurricane Matthew may loop back toward Florida and Bahamas early next week.
At least 276 people have died in the Caribbean with the death toll expected to rise. Additionally, hundreds of thousands have been displaced, according to CNN.
Although the full extend of damage won’t be known for days, it may be Haiti’s worst humanitarian crisis since its deadly earthquake in 2010.
(Photos courtesy of CNN.com)