Hurricane Matthew, a lethal storm already blamed for 11 deaths, began to regain power Wednesday after crossing Haiti and Cuba, holding steady to a path taking it dangerously close to Florida.
At 11 a.m., Matthew was located about 105 miles south of Long Island, Bahamas, moving at 12 mph. Sustained winds reached 120 mph, with the storm expected to keep pushing northwestward for the next two days. It will likely near, or make landfall, on the Florida coast Thursday evening.
With the track continuing to aim for Florida, forecasters expanded their hurricane warning to cover nearly the entire east coast of the state, from the Miami-Dade and Broward County line north to Flagler County, just south of Jacksonville.
Forecasters expect Matthew to stay on a northwest course over the next day or two with no change in speed. However, they warn predicting a storm that runs so close to the coast can be difficult because even a slight turn can mean major impacts.
BreakingNews.com has live coverage of Hurricane Matthew, click to view
On Tuesday, the storm dumped heavy rain on Haiti and Cuba. A bigger threat facing the Bahamas today will be storm surge. Forecasters warn as much as 15 feet could slam the islands. In Florida, they are predicting between 3 and 5 feet up and down the coast.
Across the islands, people were raced to complete preparations after Prime minister Perry Christie urged them to prepare for a “worst-case scenario.’’
In Florida, which hasn’t had a major hurricane make landfall in more than a decade, Gov. Rick Scott urged residents to be prepared for direct hit.
Hurricane Matthew “These are all projections -- we must be prepared for a direct hit,’’ he said.
Residents in barrier islands prone to flooding should evacuate and not wait until the storm hits, he said. About 500 national guard troops have been activated and will be deployed around the state to assist counties with evacuations, he added.
In South Florida, people began to scramble for hurricane supplies Tuesday and gas stations and grocery stores remained crowded with long lines forming Wednesday morning.
The Shell station off of Hollywood Boulevard, just east of Interstate 95 still had gas Wednesday morning -- but with two-deep lines at almost every pump.
“We learned from Andrew. And Katrina. And Wilma," said Lance Randall of Pembroke Pines, who pumped 30 gallons into a massive tank for his generator in the back of his pickup truck.
On social media, residents were reporting grocery stories low on water and empty gas pumps in Broward County. Scott said that there was plenty of fuel supplies, and most gas stations would be replenished.
Meanwhile, along Florida’s beaches, residents were installing hurricane shutters and moving watercraft out of harm’s way, while tourists began packing up.
Emergencies have been declared in four states — all of Florida and South Carolina, eastern and central North Carolina and southeastern Georgia.
In Florida, Broward County and Miami-Dade schools will be open Wednesday, but closed Thursday and Friday. Shelter locations were announced in several Broward cities where flooding is normally a problem during storms.
A hurricane warning is in effect from Golden Beach north to Sebastian Inlet. Miami-Dade and parts of the Keys are under a tropical storm warning. Scott sounded a grim reminder about the devastating cost of not being prepared.