Pay attention and be careful if you live near the coast of Florida.
Daily Wire: Hurricane Matthew is a Category 4 Hurricane. Here's a handy guide on the differences between storm system categories, courtesy of the Weather Channel.
Hurricane Matthew is making landfall on the south Atlantic coast on Thursday night. It will be the strongest storm system to strike the United States in at least a decade.
The hurricane hit the coast of Florida on Thursday, bringing with it a dire warning from Governor Rick Scott. “This is serious,” he asserted in a press conference Thursday morning. “This storm will kill you. Time is running out.”
State and local officials from neighboring areas are issuing similar bulletins, imploring civilians to seek shelter or flee to safe zones before it’s too late.
Make no mistake, this storm system is deadly. Hurricane Matthew has already ravaged areas with astonishing ferocity. America’s south Atlantic coast may be next.
Here are five things you need to know about Hurricane Matthew:
1. Hurricane Matthew killed 114 people across the Caribbean earlier this week. The majority of those in the storm system’s path resided in Haiti. A shocking 108 were killed in Haiti alone. The storm also struck Cuba and the Bahamas.
2. Hurricane Matthew was initially labeled as a Category 3 hurricane. Now, as it threatens to make landfall in the south Atlantic coast, authorities have raised the level to a Category 4 hurricane. According to the National Hurricane Center, the storm will yield maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. "Extremely dangerous Hurricane Matthew heading for Florida," the Hurricane Center stated in an urgent alert .
3. Approximately 1.5 million Americans have been forced to flee their homes. Mass evacuations are underway in South Carolina, Georgia, and, of course, Florida. The hurricane will likely make landfall in Florida between West Palm Beach and Cape Canaveral on Thursday night. Around 2,000 flights headed for Florida on Friday and Saturday have been canceled.
“Storm surges are going to go much further inland than people realize, and that's a lot of water all at once. The winds are going to be incredibly high, and the rain is what we're concerned about," stated South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley.
4. Gov. Scott asked President Obama to sign an emergency declaration. The president obliged, granting federal resources to the state of Florida. Gov. Scott also activated 3,500 of the National Guard, warning Floridians that the local, state, and federal resources can only help so much.
“Get out now if you are in an area with evacuations,” the governor said in statement. “If you make a decision not to leave before the storm, we cannot send someone to save you because you made a bad decision. Don’t wait until you lose power. You need to leave before it is too late.” Asking residents to stock up on gas, food, and other emergency supplies necessary for survival, Scott added, "My goal is to make sure everyone is prepared...Evacuate, evacuate, evacuate."
5. The National Weather Service is telling Americans to prepare for the worst. “Extremely dangerous, life-threatening weather conditions are forecast in the next 24 hours,” the National Weather Service stated Thursday afternoon. “Airborne debris lofted by extreme winds will be capable of breaching structures, unprotected windows and vehicles.” Gusting winds could have “possible devastating impacts,” stressed the Weather Service. “Structural damage to sturdy buildings, with complete roof and wall failures. Complete destruction of mobile homes. Damage may greatly accentuated by large airborne projectiles.”
The White House also offered advice to south Atlantic coast residents in anticipation of the deadly storm. “We strongly encourage people who live in the areas that are likely to be affected to heed the warnings and instructions of local officials, including evacuation orders,” said White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest Thursday.
Pleading with residents to follow the advice and safety protocols of local officials, President Obama himself added:
I want to make sure that everybody is paying attention to your local officials. If there is an evacuation order in your community, you need to take it seriously. … Even if you don’t get the full force of the hurricane, we are still going to be seeing tropical force winds, the potential for a storm surge, and all of that could have a devastating effect.
Fuente: www.dailywire.com
