Hurricane Matthew is now a Category 4 storm with 140 mph sustained winds, which could lead to unprecedented damage in Florida.
There's no storm on record that paralleled Interstate 95 from West Palm Beach all the way up to Jacksonville, not to mention a hurricane with winds gusting past 170 mph.
It will be an all-night storm for Florida, closing in on the Georgia border by late in the day on Friday.
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Not only are the destructive winds the main concern, it's the storm surge along with high tide and the amount of rainfall expected. From Fort Lauderdale to the Georgia coast is expected to see between 6 to 8 inches of rainfall over the next 72 hours.
As Hurricane Matthew continues its course along the southeastern seaboard, it will weaken in wind intensity, but rainfall estimates are expected to increase along the South Carolina coast, bringing the threat of 10 to 15 inches of rainfall along the South Carolina coast over the next 72 hours.
Hurricane Warnings have been issued along the eastern coast of Florida, the Florida Keys and the southern tip of Florida is under a Tropical Storm Warning with the Gulf side of Florida under a Tropical Storm Watch. As we head northward towards the Georgia coast and South Carolina coast just south of Charleston, a Hurricane Watch is in effect.
The National Hurricane Center has the cone of uncertainty veer away from the southern coast of North Carolina and hooks southeastward, back towards the Caribbean through Tuesday. It is an extended weekend for most, as we approach Columbus Day, many flights have been diverted away from the path of the storm so be sure to check your flight status before you head to the airport. At least eight flights to Florida out of Boston's Logan Airport have been cancelled Thursday morning.
New England dodges any impacts from Hurricane Matthew, however, the reason why Matthew is tracking away from New England is a cold front advancing from Midwest.
Local
This front will cross over our area mid-weekend, bringing the chance of showers Saturday evening.
The only possible impacts we could see from Hurricane Matthew would be higher waves and rough surf along the coast this weekend.
