North Carolina, South Carolina declare states of emergency

North Carolina Gov. McCrory has declared a state of emergency for 66 counties in central and eastern North Carolina as Hurricane Matthew begins a course which could take it along the East Coast.

Timing of #Matthew in #NCwx #SCWX still looking like Friday night/Saturday for Charleston --> Outer Banks. @wsoctv #HurricaneMatthew pic.twitter.com/CX7q8j0Ucr

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Below is the latest on Hurricane Matthew (all times local):

3:30 p.m.: Governor Pat McCrory released a statement, urging North Carolinians throughout the central and eastern part of the state to gather emergency supplies and discuss emergency plans in order to prepare for Hurricane Matthew.

“With each subsequent forecast, the impacts to our state appear to be more substantial. "I cannot stress enough how critical it is that all of our residents in central and eastern North Carolina begin preparations for their families and homes. For those residents in the eastern parts of the state, it is especially critical that you update your emergency supply kits in case you need to evacuate and always follow the directions of your local emergency officials.”

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3:15 p.m.: South Carolina governor Nikki Haley declared a state of emergency Tuesday morning ahead of Hurricane Matthew and outlined the state's plans.

She announced the state will evacuate all coastal communities starting Wednesday afternoon. Lane reversals will begin on I-26 at 3 p.m. for all traffic heading inland. Schools and government offices will also be closed.

The governor said officials want residents to get 100 miles away from the coast. The National Guard and state troopers will be at all points to help with the evacuation. Haley did warn that more than a million people will be evacuated, which means evacuation will take several hours.

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12:50 p.m.: Cape Lookout National Seashore is being evacuated as Hurricane Matthew approaches the east coast of the United States with a possible landfall in or near North Carolina.

Seashore Superintendent Patrick Kenney said Tuesday that no vehicles will be allowed to enter the seashore effective immediately. The ferries for vehicles will begin to take people and their cars off the islands. Cabins will be closed.

Kenney says the 45 cabins on North Core and South Core islands were full, although he doesn't know how many people are staying in them. He says more than 100 trucks are also on the islands.

The third island in the seashore, Shackleford Banks, attracts mostly day users.

Ferry operators have told Kenney it will take two days to evacuate everyone.

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12:25 p.m.: Horry County has moved to OPCON 3 in preparation of Hurricane Matthew. OPCON 3 means the storm poses a significant threat to Horry County.

County officials are in continual discussions with South Carolina Emergency Management, coastal communities including local municipalities, the Governor’s office and will continue to monitor the situation closely. The Horry County Emergency Operations Center is not fully activated at this time, however, it is prepared to fully activate if the governor issues a mandatory evacuation order.

Should mandatory evacuation order be issued, it is important that residents are familiar with the evacuation zones as follows:

• Zone A: All areas east of U.S. Business 17 (Kings Hwy), up to intersection with U.S. 17 (Kings Hwy) and then all areas east of US 17 (Kings Hwy) to the Northern county line.
• Zone B: All areas south of Hwy 707 and Longwood Drive, including all areas in Longwood Plantation (Blackmoor) to the Waccamaw River and all areas east of U.S. 17 Bypass (Mark Garner Hwy) to U.S. 17 (North Kings Hwy) and all areas east of U.S. 17 (North Kings Hwy) to the northern county line.
• Zone C: All areas between Hwy 701 and Hwy 544, south of Brown's Chapel Avenue and Hwy 814, plus all areas east of Highway 31 (Carolina Bays Parkway) to Highway 90 and all areas east of Highway 90 to U.S. 17 to the northern county line.
• Mobile homes, campers and those in flood prone areas are asked to evacuate for all storms.
• Horry County evacuates for storm surge and not for wind.

Prior to any evacuation orders, it is important that residents are familiar with the evacuation route that they will take:

• North Myrtle Beach and northward: Evacuees from north of Briarcliffe Acres will take SC 9 north to I-95 and beyond.
• Briarcliffe Acres south to Myrtle Beach 10th Avenue North: Evacuees in Briarcliffe Acres south to 10th Avenue North will take SC 22 (Conway Bypass) to US 501 to Marion.  In Marion, they may then take US 76 to Florence to access I-95 southbound or they may stay on US 501 to SC 38 to access I-95 northbound.
• Myrtle Beach, from 10th Avenue North south to the Myrtle Beach International Airport: Evacuees from the Myrtle Beach area south of 10th Avenue North and north of the Myrtle Beach International Airport will take US 501 to Conway.  They may then take US 378 to Columbia or continue on US 501 to Marion.  In Marion they may then take US 76 to Florence to access I-95 southbound or they may stay on US 501 to SC 38 to access I-95 northbound.
• Myrtle Beach International Airport southward through Surfside Beach: Evacuees from the Myrtle Beach International Airport south through Surfside Beach will take SC 544 to US 501 to Conway.  They may then take US 378 to Columbia or continue on US 501 to Marion.  In Marion they may then take US 76 to Florence to access I-95 southbound or they may stay on US 501 to SC 38 to access I-95 northbound.
• Garden City Beach south to Winyah Bay: Evacuees from Garden City Beach south to Winyah Bay will take US 17 south through Georgetown.  They will then take US 521 to SC 261 to US 378 to Columbia.  Alternatively, they may take US 17 south to US 701 in Georgetown to SC 51 to US 378 at Kingsburg.

If an evacuation order is given, 16-area schools will be opened as American Red Cross Shelters.  Shelters should be considered as a place of last resort to ride out the storm, shelters may be crowded, they do not accept pets and not designed for comfort.

When going to a shelter, citizens will need to take their own supplies such as batteries, bedding, identification, toiletries, clothing, etc. Shelters do not accept guns, alcohol or animals.

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10:25 a.m.: The U.S. National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane watch for South Florida.

The center issued the watch from Deerfield Beach to the Volusia/Brevard county line.

A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area.

A tropical storm watch also is in effect from the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys northward to south of Deerfield Beach, including Lake Okeechobee.

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11:10 a.m.: Officials in the Dominican Republic are reporting that at least four people died when heavy rains linked to Hurricane Matthew damaged their homes.

Emergency Operations Center coordinator Juan Manuel Mendez told a news conference Tuesday that three children were killed when the walls of their homes collapsed in a poor neighborhood in Santo Domingo. An elderly person died in a neighboring province.

That would bring the total death toll from the storm to at least seven.

Rescue agencies in the country say the downpours have destroyed at least two homes and damaged 190 others. Close to 18,000 people living in vulnerable areas have been evacuated and taken to the homes of relatives or to shelters.

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10:45 a.m.: With Hurricane Matthew expected to impact the South Carolina coast by the weekend, the American Red Cross is issuing a call for volunteers.

Louise Welch Williams, the CEO of the Palmetto, South Carolina Region of the agency based in North Charleston, said Tuesday the Red Cross needs volunteers in the Charleston, Bluffton and Georgetown areas.

The agency says it especially needs volunteers to assist with sheltering and feeding those who may be affected by the hurricane. The agency said volunteers will likely be needed to help residents across the state of South Carolina.

Projections from the National Hurricane Center show that the storm is expected to be off the South Carolina coast early Saturday with maximum winds of about 100 mph.

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10:25 a.m.: Gov. Rick Scott is urging residents up and down Florida's Interstate 95 corridor to start preparing for "direct impacts" of Hurricane Matthew.

Scott was in the Florida Keys Tuesday morning for a briefing on the Category 4 storm that is currently moving over the southwestern coast of Haiti. The storm is heading toward Cuba and the southeastern coast of Florida.

The governor warned residents to take the storm seriously, adding "we cannot rule out a direct hit." He says heavy rain, spin off tornadoes, high winds and beach erosion are among the concerns in Florida.

He asked residents to listen for directions from local officials and to "prepare for the worst and hope for the best."

Scott and other officials are urging people to have at least a three-day supply of food, water and medicine on hand. Also, Scott urged people to get gas in their vehicles and to keep cellphones charged in case of electrical power loss.

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8:30 a.m.: National Hurricane Center Director Rick Knabb says Hurricane Matthew will continue to have a devastating impact on Haiti, even after landfall.

Knabb says the storm is about to emerge back over water but there'll still be heavy rainfall that's likely to cause flash floods and mudslides, along with strong winds and storm surges.

The hurricane is heading to eastern Cuba, but Knabb says the island's mountains aren't expected to have much effect on the storm.

Knabb says tropical storm or hurricane watches may be issued for parts of southeastern Florida later Tuesday. A high pressure ridge is nudging Matthew toward Florida and blocking its path due north from the Bahamas.

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6:55 a.m.: Hurricane Matthew has made landfall in western Haiti.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the Category 4 storm made landfall around 7 a.m. EDT Tuesday near Les Anglais, Haiti. Matthew's maximum sustained winds are near 145 mph (230 kph).

The hurricane has pounded the southwestern coast of Haiti, threatening a largely rural corner of the impoverished country with devastating storm conditions as it heads north toward Cuba and the eastern coast of Florida.

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6 a.m.: Florida Gov. Rick Scott will make several stops at emergency management offices in the Florida Keys, Daytona Beach and north Florida to give updates on Hurricane Matthew and the storm's potential impact on the state.

Scott will be in Marathon at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, before moving upstate in the afternoon.

The Category 4 storm's maximum sustained winds are near 145 mph (230 kph) as it crosses the southwest peninsula of Haiti, where it's bringing life-threatening rain, wind and storm surge.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says another landfall is expected in eastern Cuba. Forecasters say a tropical storm watch or hurricane watch is likely for parts of Florida later Tuesday.

Senior Hurricane Specialist Richard Pasch says Florida residents should remain vigilant because they can't "rule out the possibility of impacts."

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4 a.m.: A hurricane warning has been issued Tuesday morning for the northwest Bahamas as Hurricane Matthew continues its march up the Caribbean.

The hurricane warning in the Bahamas includes the Abacos, Andros Island, Berry Islands, Bimini, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama Island, and New Providence.

In the meantime, Matthew's eye is nearing the southwest peninsula of Haiti, where it's bringing life-threatening rain, wind and storm surge.

The Category 4 storm's maximum sustained winds are near 145 mph (230 kph).

Heavy rain has also fallen on Jamaica and dangerous rainfall is a threat for the Dominican Republic, which adjoins Haiti.

(MONDAY)

7:10 p.m.: Jamaica's government has discontinued a hurricane warning and replaced it with a tropical storm warning as Hurricane Matthew's center tracks closer to Haiti.

Evan Thompson, director of the Meteorological Service of Jamaica, said late Monday afternoon that authorities believed the island had been "spared a bit," considering forecasters initially predicted Matthew's eye might rake over Jamaica's east as a powerful hurricane.

"We escaped the worst of the impacts, but we don't think that we are out of the woods yet," Thompson said in Jamaica's capital as Matthew's outer bands continued to soak parts of the island.

More than 700 people moved into shelters in the eastern parish of St. Thomas and the Salvation Army said there were about 200 people at its shelters in Kingston. But many islanders chose to ride Matthew out at home.

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6:25 p.m.: The chief of Haiti's civil protection agency has revised the number of confirmed deaths related to the approaching Hurricane Matthew to one — a fisherman whose body was found in rough waters off the south coast Monday.

Agency chief Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste had said early Monday that the body of two fishermen whose boats capsized in white-capped seas had been recovered but she later said that was wrong. She said a fisherman who went missing Sunday off the southern town of Aquin was still considered missing.

The one confirmed death in Haiti brings the total for the storm to at least three. One man died Friday in Colombia and a 16-year-old in St. Vincent and the Grenadines was killed Sept. 28 when the system passed through the eastern Caribbean.

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1:55 p.m.: North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory has declared a state of emergency for 66 counties in the central and eastern parts of the state because Hurricane Matthew is on a course that would take it along the East Coast.

McCrory told a news conference on Monday that the declaration will immediately help farmers clear their fields of crops already affected by heavy rain over the last two weeks. He said he doesn't want other crops ruined, so restrictions on truck weights and hours of service are lifted under the emergency declaration to allow farmers to take their harvest to market.

The governor said he didn't want farmers to wait until Thursday to begin work if the storm is close to North Carolina.

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1:30 p.m.: The Civil Defense director for the Dominican Republic says his country has evacuated 13,000 people from high-risk areas ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Matthew.

Rafael de Luna says rescue workers also are on alert in 24 of the 32 provinces in the country, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

De Luna says authorities have banned navigation all along the country's coasts and are barring recreational activities in many mountains, rivers and beaches.

The hurricane is expected to hit Haiti hardest, but heavy rains and winds are also projected for the Dominican Republic.

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1:55 p.m.: North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory has declared a state of emergency for 66 counties in the central and eastern parts of the state because Hurricane Matthew is on a course that would take it along the East Coast.

McCrory told a news conference on Monday that the declaration will immediately help farmers clear their fields of crops already affected by heavy rain over the last two weeks. He said he doesn't want other crops ruined, so restrictions on truck weights and hours of service are lifted under the emergency declaration to allow farmers to take their harvest to market.

The governor said he didn't want farmers to wait until Thursday to begin work if the storm is close to North Carolina.

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1:30 p.m.: The Civil Defense director for the Dominican Republic says his country has evacuated 13,000 people from high-risk areas ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Matthew.

Rafael de Luna says rescue workers also are on alert in 24 of the 32 provinces in the country, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

De Luna says authorities have banned navigation all along the country's coasts and are barring recreational activities in many mountains, rivers and beaches.

The hurricane is expected to hit Haiti hardest, but heavy rains and winds are also projected for the Dominican Republic.

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1 p.m.: Any impact from Hurricane Matthew is still days away, but South Carolina's already preparing for the storm.

On Monday, Hilton Head Island announced that work is being suspended on a $21 million dollar project to dredge sand from the ocean and rebuild the beach on the resort island on the state's southern tip. A dredge is being moved to safe harbor and more than 2 miles (3 kilometers) of pipe in place along the beach will be disassembled and stowed until the storm passes by.

Those preparations are expected to be complete by Wednesday. It's the third time this year work on the project has been suspended because of bad weather.

Farther north, Charleston Southern University says it's moving its home football game against Albany State to Thursday night in the Charleston area. The game had been set for Saturday at midday. That's when the National Hurricane Center projects that Matthew will be offshore of South Carolina as a Category 2 hurricane.

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12:30 p.m.: Cuba has declared a hurricane alert for six eastern provinces and is moving residents of low-lying areas and off-shore islands into temporary shelters in government buildings.

In Santiago, state workers are removing traffic lights from poles to keep them from falling during the hurricane and residents are boarding up windows with planks and pieces of sheet metal.

People have lined up by the dozens outside state stores to buy subsidized food ahead of Hurricane Matthew's expected arrival at the eastern tip of Cuba on Tuesday.

On the main highway into Santiago, farmers and residents of outlying towns have been heading toward shelters hauling possessions such as mattresses, in horse-drawn carts or tied atop the roofs of aging Soviet autos.

President Raul Castro has toured the city to review hurricane preparations.

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10:30 a.m.: North Carolina governor Pat McCrory and Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry will give an update on the state's preparation for Hurricane Matthew.

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2 a.m.: Major Hurricane Matthew is slowly churning northward across the Caribbean and meteorologists say the powerful storm is expected to approach Jamaica and southwest Haiti by Monday night.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says the dangerous Category 4 storm has top sustained winds near 130 mph (215 kph).

A 2 a.m. hurricane center update said the eye of Matthew is about 310 miles (500 kilometers) southwest of Port-au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, and about 245 miles (395 kilometers) south-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica. The storm is moving to the north at 5 mph (7 kph).

A hurricane warning is in effect for Jamaica, Haiti, and the Cuban provinces of Guantanamo, Santiago de Cuba, Holguin, Granma and Las Tunas — as well as the southeastern Bahamas. A hurricane watch is in effect for the Cuban province of Camaguey, the Turks and Caicos Islands and Central Bahamas.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Dominican Republic from Barahona westward to the border with Haiti and a tropical storm watch is in effect for the Dominican Republic from Puerto Plata west to the border with Haiti.

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12:01 a.m.: Vulnerable Haiti braced for flash floods and violent winds from the extremely dangerous Hurricane Matthew as the powerful storm kept on a path early Monday aiming at the hemisphere's poorest country.

The eye of the approaching Category 4 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 145 mph (230 kph) late Sunday, was expected to pass to the east of Jamaica and then cross over or be very close to the southwestern tip of Haiti late Monday or early Tuesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. It was predicted to hit the lightly populated eastern tip of Cuba on Tuesday afternoon.

A hurricane warning was in effect for Haiti, and Cuba. Rain was already lashing parts of Jamaica and flooding some homes, but forecasters said the southern Haitian countryside around Jeremie and Les Cayes could see the worst of the rains and punishing winds.

Matthew is one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent history and briefly reached the top classification, Category 5, becoming the strongest hurricane in the region since Felix in 2007. The hurricane center said the storm appeared to be on track to pass east of Florida through the Bahamas, but it was too soon to predict with certainty whether it would threaten any spot on the U.S. East Coast.

SC emergency officials prepare for Hurricane Matthew

South Carolina's emergency preparedness officials have begun preparing for Hurricane Matthew, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in recent history and one that could affect the East Coast.

In a news release issued Sunday, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division recommended that the state's emergency response team review plans. Officials in four counties — Horry, Beaufort, Georgetown and Charleston — said they were on alert status. However, emergency operations centers are not yet operating.

"It's too soon to rule out any possibilities," division director Kim Stenson said. "Hurricane Matthew has quickly strengthened into a dangerous storm and its projected path could put South Carolina in harm's way. Fortunately, people in South Carolina have time. While we hope we never see a hurricane head our way, we all need prepare for the possible effects."

Stenson held conference calls this weekend with county emergency managers, emergency response team agencies and local National Weather Service offices. Tropical storm-force winds and flooding are possible even if Matthew remains at sea, local weather service forecasters said.

Emergency management officials recommend that people in potentially vulnerable areas review personal safety plans, become familiar local evacuation zones in coastal counties and locate the nearest hurricane evacuation routes. The 2016 S.C. Hurricane Guide has those details and is available at all Walgreen's stores statewide, at all rest areas along interstates and for download at scemd.org

Matthew was a powerful Category 4 storm Sunday with winds of 140 mph as it swirled across the Caribbean Sea on a track that authorities warned could trigger devastation in parts of Haiti.

The storm was expected to pass across or very close to the southwestern tip of Haiti late Monday before reaching Cuba, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Matthew briefly reached the top classification, Category 5. The hurricane center said it appeared to be on track to pass east of Florida through the Bahamas, but it was too soon to predict with certainty whether it would reach the U.S. coast.

Hurricane Matthew bears down on Caribbean 

Hurricane Matthew, a potentially devastating Category 4 storm, swirled across the Caribbean toward Haiti and Jamaica, where residents frantically stocked up on emergency supplies and authorities urged people to evacuate threatened areas.

Matthew is one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent history and briefly reached the top classification, Category 5, before weakening slightly to a high-end Category 4 storm with winds of 150 mph (240 kph). It is the strongest hurricane here since Felix in 2007.

While previous forecasts had Matthew passing near or over the eastern tip of Jamaica, the latest projection has it shifting eastward and possibly striking the southwestern tip of Haiti on Monday. A hurricane warning has been issued for the impoverished country which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic.

Deforestation has greatly increased the potential for devastating floods and landslides on Haiti, and combined with the ramshackle structure of many homes and building, this means that Matthew could deal a vicious blow to the country.

After passing Jamaica and Haiti, Matthew is expected to reach Cuba on Tuesday, potentially making a direct hit on the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay.

A mandatory evacuation of non-essential personnel, including about 700 family members of military personnel, was underway at the base and everyone remaining behind was being told to take shelter, said Julie Ann Ripley, a spokeswoman. There are about 5,500 people living on the base, including 61 men held at the detention center.

The forecast track would also carry Matthew into the Bahamas, with an outside chance of a brush with Florida, though that would be several days away.

"It's too early to rule out what impacts, if any, would occur in the United States and Florida," said Dennis Feltgen, a spokesman at the Hurricane Center.

In Haiti, civil protection officials broadcast warnings of a coming storm surge and big waves, saying the country would be "highly threatened" from the approaching system, which is expected to start affecting Haiti and Jamaica Sunday night. They urged families to prepare emergency food and water kits.

Emergency management authorities banned boating, particularly along the impoverished country's southern coastline.

In Jamaica, where there is also a hurricane warning, flooding temporarily closed the road linking the capital to its airport. Carl Ferguson, head of the marine police, said people were starting to heed calls to relocate from small islands and areas near rural waterways.

Residents of the capital, Kingston, crowded supermarkets to buy bottled water, canned food and batteries. In the coastal town of Port Royal, officials were urging residents to seek refuge in government shelters once they open up on Sunday.

Many Jamaicans also began stocking up for the emergency.

At the Azan Super Centre, a supermarket in Kingston, shoppers were scooping up flashlights and gas lamps and other key supplies along with food. The kerosene was already sold out.

"It has been chaos from the morning," owner Melain Azan said.

Shopper Nardia Powell said she was stocking up because she learned a hard lesson when she was unprepared for Hurricane Ivan in 2004, as were many others. "So, I just want to be on the safe side, right?" she said.

Jamaicans are accustomed to intense storms, but Hurricane Matthew looked particularly threatening. At its peak, it was more powerful than Hurricane Gilbert, which made landfall on the island in September 1988 and was the most destructive storm in the country's modern history.

As of 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT), the storm was centered about 345 miles (555 kilometers) south-southwest of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It was traveling north-northwest at 5 mph (7 kph).

Earlier, Matthew skimmed past the northern tip of South America where there were reports of at least two deaths.

But authorities in the area overall breathed a sigh of relief as damage appeared minimal despite flooding in towns along the La Guajira peninsula of Colombia. Some officials were even grateful for the rain after a multi-year drought in the poverty-stricken area.

"Families that evacuated are returning to their homes," said La Guajira Gov. Jorge Velez. "The dikes and wells filled up, the earth is moist, and this benefits agriculture in an area where it hasn't rained for five years, benefiting the community."

Associated Press