No Calm Before The storm: Tailbacks Leave Thousands in GRIDLOCK Across The East Coast as Two million are Told to Flee 'Skeleton' Hurricane Matthew as it Kills 26 and Prepares to Hit U.S. TODAY
An eerie 'skull' appeared in satellite images of Hurricane Matthew on Tuesday, as the storm is expected to hit the US on Thursday
- Hurricane Matthew is expected to hit southern Florida Thursday evening and move up the East Coast
- Powerful storm claimed at least 26 lives as it ripped through Haiti and the Dominican Republic on Tuesday
- Two million people in the U.S. have been urged to evacuate their homes in preparation for a 'direct hit'
- Gov. Scott warned Florida could be facing its 'biggest evacuation ever' after declaring a state emergency
- Eerie satellite images of Matthew over Haiti show the storm forming a grinning skull with glowing red eye
Daily Mail UK, 6 October 2016
Traffic was backed up for miles in several cities in Florida (main), the Carolinas and Georgia on Wednesday as thousands of residents boarded up their homes and evacuated in preparation for Hurricane Matthew that is expected to hit the East Coast on Thursday.
Hundreds of thousands of families along the coast have either fled their homes or battened down the hatches in anticipation of the deadly and powerful storm that is expected to be a Category 4 when hits the US.
In preparation, residents have flocked to hardware stores, grocery stores and gas stations to stock up on supplies (top and bottom left) for what's predicted to be a devastating hurricane.
'I cannot emphasize enough that everyone in our state must prepare now for a direct hit,' said Florida Governor Rick Scott who has declared a state emergency. 'That means people have less than 24 hours to prepare, evacuate and shelter.
Having a plan in place could mean the difference between life and death.'
His spokeswoman, Jackie Schutz, said that about 1.5 million residents have been urged to evacuate state-wide. South Carolina has told about a quarter million people to leave the coast and Governor Nikki Haley says she currently plans to order more evacuations for two more counties Thursday, bringing the total to about 500,000 people.
So far the deadly storm has killed 11 and destroyed thousands of homes across islands in the Caribbean, including Cuba (top right) and Haiti (bottom right).
More than two million people in the U.S. have been urged to evacuate their homes in preparation for a 'direct hit' from Hurricane Matthew which has already claimed 26 lives.
Traffic was backed up for miles in Florida, the Carolinas and Georgia on Wednesday as thousands of families along the East Coast fled their homes ahead of the storm - which is expected to strike the U.S. on Thursday evening.
The powerful Category-three hurricane, the fiercest Caribbean storm in nearly a decade, killed at least 22 people in Haiti and four in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday.
President Barack Obama warned: 'I want to emphasise to the public - this is a serious storm. If there is an evacuation order in your community, you need to take it seriously.'
The hurricane whipped Cuba, Haiti and Dominican Republic with 140 mile-per-hour winds and torrential rains on Tuesday, pummeling towns and destroying livestock, crops and homes.
On Thursday morning, the storm was around 295 miles (480 kilometers) from West Palm Beach, Florida. It is expected to hit Miami on Thursday evening and move up to Jacksonville by Friday evening.
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Traffic was backed up for miles as residents make an evacuation route over 520 bridge heading west from Merritt Island, Florida on Wednesday
Preparation: Shoppers crowd the entrance to the Costco store in Altamonte Springs as central Floridians stock up on supplies ahead of the anticipated strike of Hurricane Matthew
Mary Stanley looks at the empty shelves on a bread isle at the Piggly Wiggly grocery store in Leland, North Carolina on Wednesday as residents up and down the East Coast are preparing for Hurricane Matthew to hit Thursday
A shopper walks by the empty shelves where bottled water normally would be on Wednesday at a grocery store in Hollywood, Florida
South Carolina state troopers direct traffic travelling on I-26 as an evacuation route during preparations for the expected arrival of Hurricane Matthew in Charleston, South Carolina on Wednesday
Motorists wait in a line of cars to buy gas at a Chevron gasoline station on Wednesday in Hollywood, Florida
Evacuations have begun across Florida and South Carolina as the deadly, storm will hit the East Coast (pictured, bus drivers with the Greenville, South Carolina school district wait for word when to start evacuating people to Greenville from North Charleston)
In preparation, residents have flocked to hardware stores, grocery stores and gas stations to stock up on supplies, leaving store shelves and gas stations empty for what's predicted to be a devastating hurricane.
'I cannot emphasize enough that everyone in our state must prepare now for a direct hit,' said Florida Gov. Rick Scott who has declared a state emergency. 'That means people have less than 24 hours to prepare, evacuate and shelter. Having a plan in place could mean the difference between life and death.'
His spokeswoman, Jackie Schutz, said that about 1.5million residents have been urged to evacuate statewide.
South Carolina has told about a quarter million people to leave the coast and Gov. Nikki Haley says she currently plans to order more evacuations for two more counties Thursday, bringing the total to about 500,000 people.
On Tuesday, the hurricane moved north, battering parts of Cuba and the Bahamas with 120mph winds, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.
Forecasters predicted Matthew will strengthen to a Category 4 hurricane, with speeds of more than 130mph by the times it hits Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. The National Hurricane Center expects the storm to hit southern Florida sometime on Thursday.
This creepy image, appears to show a white grinning skull, with a glowing red eye, flicked with green at its very center. It appeared in a weather map of the storm as it hit landfall in Haiti on Wednesday
Florida is on Hurricane Warning and Tropical Storm Warning, while the Bahamas also remains on Hurricane Warning as of late Wednesday
People along the East Coast are flocking to hardware stores, grocery aisles and gas stations as Hurricane Matthew is expected to make landfall in Florida on Thursday
Hurricane Matthew is a strong and extremely dangerous hurricane that is predicted to move up through the East Coast starting Thursday when it hits Florida
As of 11pm Wednesday, the powerful storm was hammering the Bahamas with wind speeds of 115mph
The hurricane is due to hit Florida on Thursday evening and will move up the East Coast through the Carolinas over the weekend
As residents in the Southeast coast prepared to leave their homes behind, many found that trying to get out of town was difficult since everyone was evacuating at the same time.
Hundreds of thousands were stuck in traffic on highways due to evacuation orders being issued by government officials.
'It was bumper to bumper and fairly slow for about 30 to 40 miles on either side of I-95,' Sarah Boessenecker told NBC News on Wednesday.
She and her husband, Robert were trying to make the trip from Charleston, South Carolina to Atlanta, where friends had offered to host them.
'However, people were very friendly and easygoing — no honking or impatience,' she said.
'People seemed to know the drill and understand that traffic was going to be bad and had accepted it.'
For Lydia Dalton, she said it took her family a 'long time to get out of Charleston' on Interstate 26.
'We thought we were leaving way ahead of everyone else,' Dalton said.
Ahead of the storm, US airlines canceled more than 1,500 flights on Wednesday and 1,070 flights have already been canceled in the US for Thursday.
The most-affected airports are Miami, with 512 flights, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with 287.
American Airlines is expected to see the most cancellations, as the company has large operations in Miami and Charlotte.
Delta Air Lines has cancelled about 120 flights to and from airports in South Florida. United Airlines said it is cancelling just over 60 flights to or from Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.
A woman cries amid the rubble of her home, destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in Baracoa, Cuba on Wednesday
People walk next to destroyed houses after Hurricane Matthew passes Jeremie, Haiti on Wednesday
Red Cross workers and residents walk among the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew in Baracoa, Cuba on Wednesday
A boy amd a woman walk next to remains of houses destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in Baracoa, Cuba on Wednesday
A woman removes debris from homes that fell in the street after the passing of Hurricane Matthew in Baracoa, Cuba on Wednesday
Some airlines are letting passengers change travel plans without penalty if their trip might be affected by Hurricane Matthew.
United Airlines said Tuesday that it will waive change fees and any difference in fare for customers scheduled to fly Wednesday through Friday to, from or through five airports in Florida.
Delta Air Lines is waiving change fees on trips through Wednesday in the Caribbean and through Thursday at eight Florida destinations, although differences in the fare would still apply.
During a weather forecast on Wednesday, the deadly storm seemed to take on an ominous skull shape to the shock of many viewers.
The creepy picture, which appears to show a white grinning skull with a glowing red eye, was taken from a NASA satellite and shows the hurricane as it made landfall in Haiti. Many took the 'skull of Matthew's' eye, as a bad omen as the deadly storm moves towards to U.S.
Thomas Carrigan, bar manager at Siam Orchid restaurant in Cocoa Beach, Florida, works to board up the front of the restaurant on Wednesday
Employees of Siam Orchid restaurant in Cocoa Beach, Florida, work to prepare for the hurricane that's arriving on Thursday
Workers board up a restaurant ahead of hurricane Matthew in Atlantic Beach, Florida on Wednesday
Rene Anger fills and stacks sandbags in front of her Cherry Street home in Neptune Beach, Florida on Wednesday
President Barack Obama on Wednesday said the U.S. government has teams and supplies positioned to respond to Hurricane Matthew.
'I want to emphasize to the public - this is a serious storm,' Obama said after a briefing at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. 'It has been building strength on its way to Florida.'
Evacuations began Wednesday and at 3pm, Brevard County commissioners ordered one of the Florida's first evacuations for residents of Merritt Island and other barrier islands.
Martin County has also ordered for homes along the Barrier Islands and Sewall's Point, as well as for residents living in low-lying areas or manufactures homes.
Fred Whitaker installs plywood to protect a business's windows ahead of Hurricane Matthew in Titusville, Florida on Wednesday
Aidano Medioli pushes a cart with panels of plywood, used to cover windows, onto his car as he prepares for the arrival of the storm in Miami, Florida
Eduardo Menijvar loads panels of plywood, used to cover windows, onto his car in Miami to get ready for the storm on Wednesday
People along the East Coast have been flocking to hardware stores, grocery aisles and gas stations to prepare for the devastating hurricane (a station sold out of gas in anticipation of Hurricane Matthew in Surfside Beach, South Carolina)
Gas stations have been left empty as South Carolina residents rushed to fill up before the storm hits on Friday
Florida Gov. Rick Scott said he didn't know how many people would be ordered to leave as the decision was left up to individual counties but warned Florida could be facing its 'biggest evacuation ever'.
'When you look at this storm as it goes along the East Coast, we're going to have to prepare every county, so it could be the biggest evacuation ever. Every county is focused on it though. We've been working on it even before today,' Scott said in a press conference Wednesday.
Theme parks such as Walt Disney World and Sea World were also keeping a close eye on the storm and warned customers they could expect different closing times.
One Florida, resident Randy Jordan of Juniper, said people were shoving each other as they raced to buy the supplies they needed at the local Home Depot.
'The vibe on the street this morning is pre-panic,' Jordan said. 'By tomorrow, it should just be a brawl.'
Florida coastal resorts, such as Daytona Beach, now resemble boarded-up ghost towns as people leave ahead of the storm
Hundreds of thousands of families along the coast have either fled their homes or have been battening down the hatches in anticipation of the deadly storm which is expected to make landfall in the U.S. on Thursday (Staff at Banana Cabana on the Isle of Palms, South Carolina board up the beach front institution in preparation for Hurricane Matthew)
Chris Ramsey installs plywood panels over windows at a auto stereo and window tint shop in preparation for Hurricane Matthew, Wednesday, in Cocoa Beach, Florida
Tanner, left, and Debbie Hrobak, of Port St. Lucie, install storm shutters on their store in Stuart, Florida, ahead of Hurricane Matthew on Wednesday
In South Carolina, residents in Charleston and Beaufort counties began their evacuations at noon on Wednesday.
The National Guard was mobilized Wednesday and more than 300 buses had been set aside to transport families fleeing their homes to safety ahead of the storm, and lane reversals leading out of Charleston began at 3pm.
Traffic was backed up for miles as people fled Charleston on Interstate 26, with gasoline a precious commodity with at least half a dozen stations along the coast out of fuel
But not everyone is heeding the warning to leave.
'We're staying because we have to board the house up,' said Buff Schwab, who stocked up on supplies yesterday.
Gov. Nikki Haley had warned yesterday she was prepared to evacuation one million people but had scaled down the evacuation after Matthew's wind speeds of 145mph yesterday, dropped to 120mph this morning.
At a press conference Wednesday morning, she added that evacuations in Georgetown and Horry counties will be on Thursday.
At its height, the hurricane was a Category 5 with wind speeds of more than 157 mph. Those speeds have dropped somewhat overtime and by Wednesday morning Matthew had sustained speeds of 115mph, according to the National Hurricane Center, making it a Category 3 storm.
Dimitri Pinckney installs hurricane shutters in advance of Hurricane Matthew on the Isle of Palms, South Carolina
Kristen Allen, center front, and Travis Scott, right, fill bags with sand to prevent flooding to a nearby gift shop as they prepare for the hurricane, Wednesday, in Cocoa Beach
A pedestrian walks across normally busy Ocean Boulevard ahead of the expected Friday arrival of Hurricane Matthew in Surfside Beach, South Carolina
Some coastal regions have been left ghost towns, with business closed in preparation for Matthew. One Myrtle Beach restaurant in South Carolina, shows a message revealing it is 'closed until (South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley) tells us what to do'
A worker moves supports in place for boats that will be docked on land in preparation for Hurricane Matthew at Port Canaveral, Florida
But forecasters predict it will strengthen to a Category 4 hurricane by the time it pummels Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
Those dangerous high winds caused destruction as they whipped through
Haiti, southern Cuba and the Dominican Republic yesterday, with flooding and landslides destroying homes, businesses and bringing down electricity lines.
Islanders have begun the slow process of rebuilding their lives. In Cuba, residents were seen walking through the rubble strewn streets, and digging through the remains of broken buildings trying to recover their belongings.
Meanwhile, a United Nations official said Hurricane Matthew has caused the biggest humanitarian crisis in Haiti since the devastating earthquake of 2010.
Hurricane Matthew has now moved off the northeastern coast of Cuba and is over the Bahamas where locals had prepared by boarding up their homes and businesses.
Miami residents flock to the grocery aisles to buy supplies as the eerily skull-shaped Hurricane Matthew marches toward Florida
Shoppers arrive to the Costco store in Altamonte Springs as central Floridians stock up on supplies ahead of the anticipated storm
Miami residents buy up big supplies of water on Wednesday to be prepared for when Hurricane Matthew hits Florida
Worried Miami residents buy up wooden boards at a hardware store to help protect their homes and businesses against the coming storm
Lumber manager Shawn Ferris, left, helps customer Ed Painter load plywood in preparation for Hurricane Matthew, Wednesday, in Jacksonville, Florida
Bret Hansen reads over the specs of a generator at The Home Depot in Monkey Junction near Wilmington, North Carolina, as Hurricane Matthew comes up the east coast
Shoppers buy cases and cases of water on Wednesday in Miami as they prepared for Hurricane Matthew which is predicted to hit the state on Thursday
Jesse Canady brings out a new load of generators at The Home Depot in Monkey Junction near Wilmington
Patrons wait in line for gas at the Costco store in Altamonte Springs, Florida, to buy supplies before Hurricane Matthew hits
People line up to fill their cars with gas in anticipation of Hurricane Matthew, in Coral Springs, Florida, October 5
Much of Florida is now under a Hurricane Warning, according to the National Hurricane Center, which means hurricane strength winds are expected within 36 hours. While the north of the state including Jacksonville is under a Tropical Storm Warning and the southern tip, beginning just below Miami, is on Hurricane Watch.
Matthew also could cause significant beach erosion all along the Atlantic coast, according to AccuWeather.
The worrying forecast was made all the more unsettling by the appearance of the strange skull formation in the weather map of Hurricane Matthew on Tuesday.
'I can confirm this satellite image of Matthew's landfall is REAL and not photoshopped,' said Matt Devitt, from the WINK News team in Florida, was noticed the skull while giving a forecast yesterday
'Captured this morning during my weathercast. Freaky!'
Many were disturbed by the strange occurrence, calling the 'monstrous' picture a bad omen for the East Coast.
'East cost(sic) you better dig in this is an evil storm!' one viewer tweeted.
However, meteorologists were quick to assure the public that the image was simply a fluke, as the map used different colors used to identified the strongest part of the storm.
Schools in Broward County and Palm Beach County have cancelled classes on Thursday and Friday
People along the East Coast are flocking to pick up sandbags, raiding hardware stores, grocery aisles and gas stations as Hurricane Matthew marched toward Florida
Long lines in Sandford, central Florida for the free sandbags as residents prepare for the approaching hurricane
A minivan is packed full of sandbags which will be used to protect against flooding and high winds in Florida
Residents are filling sandbags in 90 degree weather in preparation for the approaching hurricane as even the little ones get in on the act
Workers in bright orange shirts help families load up sandbags on Wednesday morning in Sandford, Central Florida
The government have offered free sandbags for Florida residents as they prepare for the approaching storm
A long queue of cars forms in central Florida as residents line up to collect free sandbags to help protect their homes
In South Florida, lines at grocery stores were heavier than usual and some essentials were in short supply.
When Simone Corrado and her husband tried to buy water at their Publix in Davie near Fort Lauderdale, they mostly found empty shelves.
There were a few bottles of high-end water brands, but there was so much empty shelf space that Corrado lay down and fully stretched out on the bottom shelf.
'I got scared because all that was left at Publix was just the pricey water,' said Corrado, who lived through 1992's catastrophic Hurricane Andrew, which practically leveled the nearby city of Homestead.
'They really put the fear into you here. On the television screen every few minutes is the 'beep, beep, beep' storm alert.'
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency in 13 coastal counties yesterday because of Hurricane Matthew.
The White House said President Barack Obama canceled a campaign and health care events in Florida on Wednesday and would instead visit the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for an update.
Hurricane Hermine became the first to strike Florida since Wilma in 2005 when it hit the eastern Panhandle on September 2 as a Category 1 storm, causing one death, storm surge damage to beachfront homes and downed trees and powerlines.
That 11-year lull between storms hitting Florida was the longest on record. The last storm to hit the Atlantic side of Florida was Hurricane Katrina, which struck in 2005 on its way to devastating the Gulf coast.
President Barack Obama on Wednesday said the U.S. government has teams and supplies positioned to respond to Hurricane Matthew as the storm barrels toward Florida and other southeastern states
US President Barack Obama spoke about Hurricane Matthew at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Wilma made landfall as a Category 3 storm with 120 mph winds, killing five people as it pushed from southwest Florida, through the Everglades and into the Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach area, causing an estimated $21 billion in damage and leaving thousands of residents without power for more than a week.
It concluded a two-year span when a record eight hurricanes hit the state.
Near Miami Beach, The Home Depot in Davie briefly ran out of propane for gas barbecues and the supply of batteries was dwindling.
People bought plywood to cover windows, tarps to put over outdoor furniture and coolers for food storage.
Anesthesiologist Darby Lipka lugged a 20-pound propane tank across the parking lot, saying he had already purchased food and water. He installed hurricane windows years ago so he wouldn't need to erect shutters
'I am just trying to be prepared,' he said.
Dane Vaala, a diesel mechanic, was loading plywood onto his pickup. He needed it so he could stand on his awning to install upper floor shutters at his home.
He moved to Florida from Montana in 2007, so Matthew would be his first storm. He had loaded up on canned food and water.
Two men struggle to secure their home with wooden boarding on Bailou Hill Road as Hurricane Matthew approaches Nassau, Bahamas, October 5
Mark Cartwright loads up on food and supplies at the store ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Matthew in Nassau, Bahamas
People carry some of their belongings through the rubble of a street after the passing of Hurricane Matthew in Baracoa, Cuba, Wednesday,where the hurricane rolled across the sparsely populated tip of Cuba overnight
Red Cross workers and residents walk among the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew in Baracoa, Cuba
A bent stop sign lies amid debris, felled by Hurricane Matthew in Baracoa,Cuba's easternmost city
People look to salvage personal belongings from their homes damaged by Hurricane Matthew in Baracoa, Cuba, Wednesday
'I'm not too concerned — it doesn't really bother me much,' he said. 'But it is better to prep.'
Haley said state officials would reverse lanes on major evacuation routes in South Carolina.
It would be the first major evacuation since Hurricane Floyd in 1999, when the governor at the time didn't reverse the lanes and Interstate 26 became a parking lot.
A typically two-hour drive from Charleston to Columbia turned into 24-hour nightmare.
'We've been though winter storms. We've been through a 1,000-year flood. A hurricane is different. I don't want anyone to look at the last couple of tragedies we've gone through and think this is similar,' Haley said.
People wade through a street flooded by a nearby river overflowing from the heavy rains caused by Hurricane Matthew, in Leogane, Haiti, Wednesday
People try to cross the overflowing Rouyonne river in the commune of Leogane, south of Port-au-Prince, Haiti which was blasted by Matthew yesterday
A motorcyclist rides through the floodwater after Rouyonne river burst its banks following the hurricane in the commune of Leogane, south of Port-au-Prince, on Wednesday
A family clings hold of one another as they try to cross the over flowing Rouyonne river in Haiti where residents began the messy and probably grim task of assessing the storm's toll
Strong winds and heavy rain hit Haiti on Thursday, where at least five are dead, including a 26-year-old man who drowned trying to rescue a child who fell into flood waters. The child was saved, authorities said. One woman was killed by a falling electrical pole.
More than 430,000 were evacuated from the island, the poorest region in the Western Hemisphere, ahead of the hurricane.
'You could see a death toll in the thousands,' Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach had warned as life-threatening 145mph winds and heavy rain battered the island.
Deputy Special Representative for Haiti Mourad Wahba says in a statement that many people have been forced from their homes and communications systems have been knocked out in the country's hard-hit southwestern peninsula. He said at least 10,000 people are in shelters.
Wahba says officials have received reports of destroyed houses and overflowing hospitals, with shortages fresh water. He also says the hospital in the city of Les Cayes had its roof blown off.
But with a key bridge washed out, roads impassable and phone communications down, the western tip of Haiti was isolated and there was no word on dead and injured.
Men dig through the rubble of a collapsed building in Baracoa, Cuba, in the aftermath of the hurricane which battered the island last night
A man is comforted as Cubans begin the slow process of repairing and rebuilding following the trail of devastation left by Matthew
A view of partially destroyed banana trees at a road side after the passage of hurricane Matthew on the coast of Guantanamo province, Cuba, October 5
The rubble left after Hurricane Matthew blew through yesterday destroying homes and business in southern Cuba
A man looks pensive as he sits atop a pile of rubble after the hurricane wreaked destruction in Cuba yesterday
A couple embrace in the remains of their home that was destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in Baracoa, Cuba, Wednesday
Hours after Matthew swept onto the remote area with 145 mph winds, government leaders said they weren't close to fully gauging the impact in the vulnerable, flood-prone country where less powerful storms have killed thousands.
International aid efforts were stymied Tuesday because of the lack of access to the hardest-hit areas, many residents of flooded areas seen by Associated Press reporters were wading through shin-high waters.
Muddy rivers and tributaries continued to rise as water flowed down hillsides and mountains, making more flash floods and mudslides possible even Matthew tracked away from the country.
On Wednesday, the hurricane moved northwards, battering the Bahamas and parts of Cuba including Guantanamo Bay where seven hundred military family members were evacuated from over the weekend in anticipation of the storm.
Several cruise ships are being rerouted from their regularly scheduled Caribbean and Bahamas ports to Key West. Key West is about 40 miles south of the portion of the Florida not currently under a tropical storm warning.
As Hurricane Matthew approaches the Bahamas, officials say nine Royal Bahamas Defence Force vessels have moored at Truman Harbor in Key West.
The streets are filled with broken roofing, bricks and other detritus after Matthew blew through Cuba
Hurricane Matthew left serious damage at the eastern end of Cuba, with landslides, toppling electricity poles and cutting off roads by floods
Cubans stand outside an apartment block on October 5, and consider the damage and havoc caused by Hurricane Matthew
A Cuban street in the Guantanamo province (seen this morning), is buried under huge slabs of rock after Hurricane Matthew passed through yesterday
The coastal road between Guantanamo and Baracoa was left broken and battered after Hurricane Matthew passed through the eastern tip of Cuba on Tuesday afternoon
Naval Air Station Key West spokeswoman Trice Denny says a University of Miami Rosentiel School research called the Whalton Smith is expected to arrive in port in Key West on Wednesday.
Officials are also expecting the USNS Spearhead on Saturday, a 337-foot-long joint (Navy/Army) high-speed catamaran vessel, to be positioned in Key West for possible aid missions.
The Department of State had also authorized family members of US government employees to depart the Bahamas, and issued a travel warning for the area.
Matthew was at one point a Category 5 storm, making it the most powerful hurricane in the region in nearly a decade. It blew ashore around dawn in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and a place where many people live in shacks of wood or concrete blocks.
Bahamas Prime Minister Perry Christie voiced concern about the potential impact on the sprawling archipelago off Florida's east coast.
'We're worried because we do not control nature,' he said.
Seven hundred military family members were evacuated from Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in Cuba over the weekend in anticipation of the storm. The Department of State has authorized family members of US government employees to depart the Bahamas, and has issued a travel warning for the area.
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