Hurricane Matthew, blamed for 11 deaths so far, weakened to a Category 3 after making landfall in Cuba, its maximum sustained winds dropping to 125 mph by dawn Wednesday. But forecasters expect it to regain strength as it churns toward the Bahamas, and then tracks perilously close to Florida.
The storm could potentially make landfall Thursday night somewhere along the coast of Florida, the first time the state will take a direct hit from a major storm in more than a decade.
Matthew’s outer bands were still hundreds of miles from Florida, but it caused long lines at gas stations and grocery stores. Along Florida’s beaches, residents were installing hurricane shutters and moving watercraft out of harm’s way, while tourists were packing up.
BreakingNews.com has live coverage of Hurricane Matthew, click to view
Emergencies have been declared in four states — all of Florida and South Carolina, eastern and central North Carolina and southeastern Georgia.
In Florida, Broward County schools will be open Wednesday, but closed Thursday and Friday. Shelter locations were announced in several Broward cities where flooding is normally a problem during storms. A decision about whether to close schools in Miami-Dade will be announced Thursday.
Most of the state’s coastal areas were under a hurricane watch and Gov. Rick Scott sounded a grim reminder Tuesday about the devastating cost of not being prepared.
Matthew is an "extremely dangerous" storm, Scott said, adding “if you are able to leave early, leave now.’’
The storm could potentially make landfall Thursday night somewhere along the coast of Florida, the first time the state will take a direct hit from a major storm in more than a decade.
Matthew’s outer bands were still hundreds of miles from Florida, but it caused long lines at gas stations and grocery stores. Along Florida’s beaches, residents were installing hurricane shutters and moving watercraft out of harm’s way, while tourists were packing up.
BreakingNews.com has live coverage of Hurricane Matthew, click to view
Emergencies have been declared in four states — all of Florida and South Carolina, eastern and central North Carolina and southeastern Georgia.
In Florida, Broward County schools will be open Wednesday, but closed Thursday and Friday. Shelter locations were announced in several Broward cities where flooding is normally a problem during storms. A decision about whether to close schools in Miami-Dade will be announced Thursday.
Most of the state’s coastal areas were under a hurricane watch and Gov. Rick Scott sounded a grim reminder Tuesday about the devastating cost of not being prepared.
Matthew is an "extremely dangerous" storm, Scott said, adding “if you are able to leave early, leave now.’’
