The fiercest
Caribbean storm in nearly a decade slammed into the Bahamas early on Thursday
and was expected to intensify as it barreled towards the southeast U.S. coast,
where a mass exodus was under way in four states.
Roadways in Florida,
Georgia and North and South Carolina were packed from late on Wednesday, with
millions heeding warnings to flee inland as Hurricane Matthew approached,
packing sustained winds of about 115 miles per hour (185 km per hour), storm
surges and heavy rain.
Matthew, which
killed at least 26 people and damaged swathes of homes in southern Haiti, was
predicted to strengthen from Category 3 to 4 storm en route to eastern Florida.
Landfall was
expected there on Thursday night, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.
"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."
All four states in
the hurricane's path declared states of emergency as shelters in Florida,
Georgia and South Carolina opened their doors after governors, along with
President Barack Obama, urged residents to evacuate their homes.
In all, more than 12
million U.S. residents were under a hurricane watches and warnings, according
to the Weather Channel.
Gas stations in
Florida posted "out of gas" signs after motorists waited in long
lines to fill up their tanks.
"Every gas
station I went to is empty," said Charles Bivona in a Tweet late
Wednesday. "Here comes Hurricane Matthew. Um, yikes."
People who planned
to wait out the storm stocked up on water, milk and canned goods, emptying
grocery store shelves, footage from local media showed.
Residents and
business owners boarded up windows with plywood and hurricane shutters and
placed sandbags down to protect property against flooding.
"All boarded up
and ready to bunker down. God be with us," West Palm Beach Florida
resident Brad Gray said in a Tweet.
Reuters
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