Millions flee as Southeast US braces for Hurricane Matthew
USA - The fiercest Caribbean storm in nearly a decade slammed into the Bahamas yesterday, intensifying as it barreled toward the southeast US coast where millions of residents heeded warnings to flee inland.
Roadways in Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina were jammed and gas stations and food stores ran out of supplies as Hurricane Matthew approached, packing storm surges, heavy rain and sustained winds that accelerated overnight to around 125 miles (205 km) per hour. Matthew, which killed at least 26 people and damaged swathes of homes in southern Haiti, was predicted to strengthen from a Category 3 to 4 storm en route to eastern Florida. Landfall was expected there on Thursday night, the US National Hurricane Center said, extending its hurricane warning area further north into Georgia. “Everyone in our state must prepare now for a direct hit”, Florida Governor Scott told a news conference in Tallahassee on Wednesday. “If Matthew directly impacts Florida, the destruction could be catastrophic and you need to be prepared.” The four states in the path of the hurricane, tracked 255 miles (410 km) southeast of West Palm Beach, declared states of emergency enabling their governors to mobilize the National Guard. Shelters in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina opened their doors after authorities, along with President Barack Obama, urged locals to evacuate their homes.
Federal emergency response teams were coordinating with officials in all four states and stockpiling supplies, Obama said. Scott requested that Obama declare a pre-landfall emergency for Florida, which would bring resources including as food, water and waterproof coverings and double the active National Guard force to 3,000. Schools and airports across the region were to close on Thursday and some hospitals evacuated patients, according to local media. Hundreds of flights were canceled in and out of Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando, Florida, industry website Flightaware.com said yesterday. (Reuters.com)