Extremely dangerous Hurricane Matthew moving closer to Florida east coast

At 200am EDT (0600 UTC), the eye of Hurricane Matthew was located by NOAA Doppler weather radars and an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft near latitude 27.6 North, longitude 79.7 West.

Matthew is moving toward the northwest near 14 mph (22 km/h). A turn toward the north-northwest is expected later today, and a turn toward the north is expected tonight or Saturday. On the forecast track, the center of Matthew will be moving near or over the east coast of the Florida peninsula through tonight, and near or over the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina on Saturday.

Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 120 mph (195 km/h) with higher gusts. Matthew is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Although some additional weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours, Matthew is expected to be a powerful category 3 hurricane as it moves near the coast of Florida.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 185 miles (295 km). During the past hour, a wind gust to 70 mph (113 km/h) was reported at Vero Beach, Florida, and a gust to 60 mph occurred at Melbourne, Florida.

WIND: Hurricane conditions should diminish over portions of the northwestern Bahamas this morning. Hurricane conditions are expected to first reach the hurricane warning area in Florida during the next several hours and will spread northward within the warning area through today. Tropical storm conditions will continue to spread northward in the warning area along the Florida east coast today. Hurricane conditions are expected to spread northward in the warning area in Georgia and South Carolina tonight and Saturday with tropical storm conditions expected later today. Winds increase rapidly in elevation in a tropical cyclone. Tropical storm conditions are expected in the tropical storm warning area in the Carolinas on tonight and Saturday.

STORM SURGE: The combination of a dangerous storm surge and large and destructive waves could raise water levels by as much as the following amounts above normal tide levels:
Northwestern Bahamas: 10-15 feet

The water could reach the following heights above ground if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide:
Sebastian Inlet, Florida, to Edisto Beach, South Carolina, including portions of the St. Johns River: 7-11 ft
Edisto Beach to South Santee River, South Carolina: 4-6 ft
Boca Raton to Sebastian Inlet, Florida: 4-6 ft
South Santee River, South Carolina, to Cape Fear, North Carolina: 2-4 ft
Virginia Key to Boca Raton, Florida: 1-3 ft
Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances. Large waves generated by Matthew will cause water rises to occur well in advance of and well away from the track of the center. The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. There is a danger of life-threatening inundation during the next 36 hours along the Florida east coast, the Georgia coast, and the South Carolina coast from Boca Raton, Florida, to South Santee River, South Carolina.
There is the possibility of life-threatening inundation during the next 48 hours from north of South Santee River, South Carolina, to Cape Fear, North Carolina.

RAINFALL: Matthew is expected to produce total rainfall amounts in the following areas:
The northern Bahamas: 8-12 inches, isolated 15 inches
The Atlantic coast of the United States from Central Florida to eastern North Carolina: 6-12 inches with isolated totals near 15 inches along the coasts

TORNADOES: An isolated tornado or two is possible along the east-central Florida coast tonight.

SURF: Swells generated by Matthew will continue to affect portions of the north coast of Cuba and the Bahamas during the next few days, and will spread northward along the east coast of Florida and the southeast U.S. coast through the weekend. These swells will likely cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.

(For information about operations in the USA contact GAC USA at [email protected])

Source: National Hurricane Center, Florida (www.nhc.noaa.gov), Hurricane Matthew Intermediate Advisory No.36a issued at 200am EDT, Friday 7 October 2016