Hurricane Matthew's howling wind and driving rain pummeled Florida early on Friday, starting what's expected to be a ruinous, dayslong battering of the Southeast coast. The strongest winds of 120 mph were just offshore, but Matthew's wrath still menaced more than 500 miles of coastline and 26 million Americans.
Government officials declared a state of emergency in several states in an effort to plan ahead since the deadly Category Three storm is expected to wreak havoc with its 120mph winds.
At 4am in Florida the western edge of Hurricane Matthew's eyewall was approaching Cape Canaveral - heading straight towards the cape's Air Force Station and NASA's $11 billion Kennedy Space Center.
At 4.30am, Florida Governor Rick Scott said: 'The eyewall of Hurricane #Matthew is now within 5 miles of the Central Florida coast and extremely close to land. Stay aware.'
Two million people across the Southeast were warned to flee inland as tens of millions along 500 miles of coastline battened down the hatches.
The number of homes and businesses without power jumped by the hour as the full force of Mathew edged closer to the coast. More than 240,000 were in the dark by early Friday.
The 'once-in-a-lifetime' storm is the most powerful hurricane to threaten the U.S. Atlantic coast in more than a decade and could be the most catastrophic to hit the north and east of Florida in 118 years.
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Downed: Hurricane Matthew started pelting Florida with heavy rains and tropical force winds early Friday morning. A large tree was uprooted by the strong and powerful winds from the hurricane blocking West Plumosa Lane in Lake Worth Friday
On Friday, Matthew was about 50 miles east off Cape Canaveral with a gust of 88 mph reported near Satellite Beach at 4:08 am, near Melbourne, Florida (pictured)
Rescue officials in several counties in Florida announced late on Thursday night that it is too dangerous to go out into the storm and have suspended rescue services.
Winds gusts of up to 120mph and heavy downpours were reported in several coastal communities in Florida as the eye of the Category Three hurricane tracked along the east coast of the state early on Friday.
'We are just bracing and the winds are picking up,' Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry told CNN early on Friday.
'A great number of our residents have taken heed to our warnings and we are certainly concerned about those that have not.'
Military troops have been mobilized in Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
Thousands of National Guard soldiers and airmen have been activiated, while navy ships and Air Force aircraft have been evacuated from bases that are likely to be hit to safe spots until they are asked to assist.
Brevard County Fire service has declared it's 'too dangerous' for them to respond to emergency calls as Matthew approaches. Live power lines have been knocked down and everyone has been urged to stay indoors.
On Thursday, the University of Florida's scheduled football game against LSU was postponed due to the storm.
Meanwhile, in South Carolina, police in Pawleys Island have sent out a waiver form for residents who have refused to evacuate to sign.
The form asks the residents to acknowledge 'I have refused to comply with the evacuation and leave the Island. My next of kin can be reached as follows.'
Firefighters in Indialantic braved extremely gusty winds and rain to subdue a structure fire that was believed to be a greenhouse at an unincorporated N. Riverside address in Florida.
Incredible video shared on Twitter around 1am on Friday showed firefighters trying to extinguish the flames during the storm.
Hurricane Matthew started hitting the East Coast early Friday morning leaving debris from palm trees and shrubs in the streets as pictured above in Indian River County, Florida
The Tropical Force Winds have already started doing damage, as pictured above in Indian River County in Florida early Friday morning
The powerful tropical storm-force winds started whipping trees around in Palm Bay, Florida (above) late Thursday evening, as the 'once-in-a-lifetime' storm made its way to the East Coast
Rescue officials announced late Thursday night that it is too dangerous to go out into the storm and have suspended rescue services in several counties in Florida. Pictured above is West Palm Beach around 12:30am on Friday
Dangerous: Firefighters in Indialantic braved extremely gusty winds and rain to subdue a structure fire (above) that was believed to be a greenhouse at an unincorporated N. Riverside address in Florida
The wind was blowing around 60mph in West Palm Beach as the hurricane started making it's way to the East Coast around 12:30am on Friday
Heavy rainfall also started in West Palm Beach early Friday morning. The storm is expected to be catastrophic
The only and last Category Four hurricane to make landfall anywhere in northeast Florida or the Georgia coast was in 1898, according to The Weather Channel.
As of 4am on Friday, Matthew was about 50 miles east off Cape Canaveral with a sustained wind of 46 mph (74 km/h) and a gust of 88 mph reported near Satellite Beach, in Melbourne, Florida.
There are fears Matthew will hit two nuclear power stations in its path as it heads north, as well as Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort.
The St Lucie and Turkey Point nuclear reactors are in braced for a hit.
The Department of Energy said: 'Some reactors were shut as a precaution to protect equipment from the storm; others were forced to shut down or reduce power output due to damage to plant facilities or transmission infrastructure serving the plant.'
But nuclear experts say there is no danger of a disaster of the sort seen in Japan in 2011 when the Fukushima nuclear power station went into meltdown after being hit by a tsunami.
The devastating hurricane had already left more than 340 dead by Friday morning in its wake across the Caribbean as it laid waste to large swathes of coastal Haiti.
Ed Rappaport, deputy director of the Miami-based National Hurricane Center in Miami, said: 'What we know is that most of the lives lost in hurricanes is due to storm surge.'
'This storm's a monster,' Governor Rick Scott warned as it started lashing the state with periodic heavy rains and squalls around nightfall. He added: 'I'm going to pray for everybody's safety.'
'The storm has already killed people. We should expect the same impact in Florida,' the governor warned.
As it moved north in the evening on Thursday, Matthew stayed about 100 miles or more off South Florida, sparing the 4.4 million people in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale areas from its most punishing effects.
Powerful: Dark clouds were pictured above Disney World in Orlando, Florida on Thursday as Hurricane Matthew made its way towards the East Coast
The intense storm rolled into Coquina Beach in Florida on Thursday afternoon, as the beach was nearly empty of people
Even before the full force of the powerful storm hits, tens of thousands of people have already been left without power in some parts of the sunshine state. Above palm trees sway in high gusts of wind on Thursday in Vero Beach, Florida
The clouds covered over the Harry Potter ride at the Disney theme park, making it look and feel very creepy on Thursday
By Thursday night, more than 100,000 homes and businesses were without power. Up to seven million are under threat of losing power as Matthew smashes its way across the Sunshine State.
Forecasters said it could dump up to 15 inches of rain in some spots and cause a storm surge of 11 feet or more.
President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency for Florida and South Carolina, freeing up federal money and personnel to protect lives and property.
The Fort Lauderdale airport shut down, and the Orlando airport planned to do so as well. The Palm Beach International Airport reported a wind gust of 50 mph with the center of the storm 70 miles offshore, the National Hurricane Center said. Airlines canceled more than 3,800 flights Thursday and Friday, many of them in or out of Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
People leave Disney's Magic Kingdom theme park, in heavy rain, after it closed in Orlando, Florida in preparation for the landfall of Hurricane Matthew on Thursday
A lone taxi heads toward the Walt Disney World Resort area in Orlando, Florida, before the landfall of Hurricane Matthew on Thursday
Ivonne Morales comforts her sleeping baby, 9-month-old Bruno Ponce, at the Red Cross shelter at the Samuel S. Gaines Academy building in Fort Pierce Florida on Thursday
Children are pictured taking shelter at one of the many public hurricane shelters in Brevard County, Fl. where pets are also allowed to stay
A woman and two children are pictured at the Viera Regional Park Community Center in Brevard County, Fl. with four dogs as they wait out the storm
Good Morning Britain reporter Richard Gaisford was pummeled with rain as he reported live from Palm Beach on Friday
Amtrak suspended train services between Miami and New York, and cruise lines rerouted ships to avoid the storm, which in some cases will mean more days at sea.
Orlando's world-famous theme parks - Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and SeaWorld - all closed.
Streets in Vero Beach were partially covered with water, and hotel guests in Orlando were told to stay inside, though a few sneaked out to smoke or watch the rain.
The lobby of the Loews Sapphire Falls Resort was crowded with people and pets, including dogs occasionally snapping at each other. Some meals were served buffet style while other people waited more than two hours for a pizza delivery.
The hurricane was expected to blow ashore - or come dangerously close to doing so - early on Friday north of Palm Beach County, which has about 1.4 million people, and then slowly push north for the next 12 hours along the Interstate 95 corridor, through Cape Canaveral and Jacksonville, according to the National Hurricane Center.
WILL HURRICANE MATTHEW EFFECT THE ELECTION? STORM SET TO STOP THOUSANDS OF FLORIDA RESIDENTS REGISTERING TO VOTE IN THE CRUCIAL SWING STATE
Hurricane Matthew could have a huge impact on the national election, with fears that thousands will be unable to register to vote in the key swing state.
The voting registration deadline is set for Tuesday, but with the massive storm set to hit on Friday, many forced to evacuate their homes may be unable to register in the crucial final few days.
Hillary Clinton has already applied for an extension but Republican Governor Scott has refused amid concerns that only the Florida legislature has the power to grant one, ruled previously by the Supreme Court.
Maintainance workers try to remove a tree from a road in Nassau, New Providence island in the Bahamas, on October 6, 2016, after the passing of Hurricane Matthew
Florida law gives the governor the power to delay an election, but apparently not to extend registration dates or make other election changes.
Vote-by-mail ballots are being sent to voters across the state this week, leaving the potential for ballots to arrive just as voters temporarily abandon their homes.
So far, a record 2.5 million people - nearly one-third of those who voted in 2012 - have made requests for the early ballots.
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are steering clear of battleground Florida, where Hurricane Matthew threatened to wreak havoc on the final stretch of presidential campaigning.
The campaigns rushed Thursday to move staff and volunteers, close offices and cancel events in the path of the storm.
Thousands of people hunkered down in schools converted to shelters, and inland hotels in places such as Charlotte, North Carolina, reported brisk business.
At the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, NASA no longer has to worry about rolling space shuttles back from the launch pad to the hangar because of hurricanes, since the shuttle fleet is now retired. But the spaceflight company SpaceX was concerned about the storm's effect on its leased seaside pad.
Forecasters said it would then probably hug the coast of Georgia and South Carolina over the weekend before veering out to sea - perhaps even looping back toward Florida in the middle of next week as a tropical storm.
Millions of people in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina were told to evacuate their homes, and interstate highways were turned into one-way routes to speed the exodus.
The Weather Channel warned late Thursday that this storm is expected to make 'history' and is 'like no storm in the record books,' as central and north Florida have never been hit by a hurricane this strong. Even before the full force of the powerful storm hits, tens of thousands of people have already been left without power in some parts of the sunshine state.
People wait to check in at a Red Cross shelter at Trinity On The Hill Methodist church as Hurricane Matthew approaches the Georgia coast in Augusta, Georgia on Thursday
About 1.5 million people in Florida have been told to flee inland as the dangerous and life-threatening Category Three storm hits. Above Daytona Beach is pictured on Thursday
Hurricane Matthew (left) is pictured heading in the direction of Cape Canaveral on Friday morning. Meanwhile, in South Carolina, police have sent out a waiver form for residents who have refused to evacuate to sign (right).
About 1.5 million people in Florida have been told to go inland as the dangerous and life-threatening Category Three storm is set to destroy homes and building structures and knock down trees.
Forecasters predict it will bring a dangerous storm surge to some parts of the state that will be even worse than what happened in New Jersey during Super Storm Sandy in 2012.
Weather forecasters say the eye of the hurricane may never make landfall, however, the eyewall which contains the strongest winds, may do so.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott advised on Thursday evening that residents still had time to evacuate, but to do so quickly.
'We are already starting to see the impacts (from Hurricane Matthew), and it's a monster,' Scott said. 'You still have time to leave. Get out. There's no reason to take a chance.'
The storm hit Floirda early on Friday morning. Above Daytona Beach is pictured on Thursday
Weather forecasters predict it will bring a dangerous storm surge to some parts of the state that will be even worse than what happened in New Jersey during Super Storm Sandy in 2012. Above Daytona Beach is pictured on Thursday
Destructive winds and flooding is expected to stretch into Georgia and South Carolina moving up the coast by the weekend. Above Daytona Beach is pictured on Thursday
Pet owners and their pets sit in the lobby of a storm shelter set up at the Barnett Park community center to accommodate evacuees during Hurricane Matthew on Thursday
Traffic stacks up on I-75 North as people left the Georgia coast to beat out Hurricane Matthew on Thursday
Many boarded up their homes and businesses and left them to the mercy of the storm.
'We're not going to take any chances on this one,' said Daniel Myras, who struggled to find enough plywood to protect his restaurant, the Cruising Cafe, two blocks from the Daytona Beach boardwalk.
More than two million people have been warned that their 'time is up' if they have not yet evacuated with 'killer' Hurricane Matthew just hours away from hitting Florida's south coast.
The National Weather Service has advised that 'loss of life' and 'immense human suffering' is possible for those who don't take precautions. It could also potentially leave approximately seven million people without power.
The Florida governor warned that the threat of the 'deadly' storm was real as he reiterated a call for people to evacuate.
'Waves will be crashing on roofs. Homes will be destroyed. This is deadly. We have suspended tolls, doubled the amount of shelters and are making sure we keep the roads as clear as possible. There is absolutely no reason not to leave. If you chose to stay and try to ride the storm out, your life is at risk.'
Police patrolled St. Augustine, Florida, neighborhoods, announcing through a bullhorn that the area is in a mandatory evacuation zone as Hurricane Matthew approached the state Thursday evening.
Dana Harrison, who lives on a barrier island across from Anastasia State Park, said she planned to wait out the storm with an out-of-town friend and her cat.
Ominous dark clouds signal the approaching hurricane headed towards Miami in Florida on Thursday
Dark storms gather overhead at the beach in Miami, Florida where the storm is expected to hit late Thursday and into Friday morning
Storm clouds rolled in around 4pm on the Siesta Key Beach; The storm is expected to be one of the most powerful ones to hit in decades
That's one way to keep them from blowing away! In Orlando, Florida, one enterprising pool attendant decided to chuck all the sun loungers into the water to avoid more clean up
Traffic as far as the eye can see: Thousands of families have been caught in gridlock across the state and up the East Coast into the Carolinas and Georgia, as they flee their homes ahead of the storm - while the National Guard trucks drive towards the evacuation zones to assist
Traffic stacks up on I-75 North fleeing the coast and Hurricane Matthew on Thursday near McDonough, Georgia
Local law enforcement works, with members of the National Guard to keep an evacuation route clear on I-26 during preparations for the expected arrival of Hurricane Matthew in Charleston, South Carolina, on Thursday
More than two million people in the US have been urged to evacuate their homes before Hurricane Matthew hits the East Coast (people walk along Miami Beach, Florida, October 6)
In Sandown, New Hampshire on Thursday night, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump warned that the hurricane 'looks like it's a big one and it looks like it's going to be a bad one.'
'Hopefully it takes that right turn,' he said.
Matthew strengthened from a Category Three to a Four Thursday morning as it bears down on the East Coast
Speaking into a TV camera, he said his investments, friends and employees in southeast Florida could be in for a devastating hit.
'Please know that we are praying for you and everyone in the path,' he said. 'You've got to take care of yourself, you've got to get out of the area. You've got to listen. You've got a great governor ... it could be a really bad one.'
Donald Trump also pledged that people in the devastated country of Haiti wouldn't be left to recover on their own following the deaths of more than 260 people there.
'To the folks in Haiti and all over, we're going to be helping you ... we send our best wishes and prayers.'
A national state of emergency was declared in Florida on Thursday after calls from Scott, which grants resources from the federal government such as food, water and tarps.
President Obama warned: 'I want to emphasize to the public - this is a serious storm. If there is an evacuation order in your community, you need to take it seriously.'
'Just remember that you can always rebuild,' he added. 'You can always repair property. You cannot restore a life if it is lost and we want to make sure that we minimize any possible loss of life or risk to people in these areas.
'True Color' satellite image of hurricanes Matthew and Hurricane Nicole as they swirl towards Florida. Hurricane Nicole is now a Category Two storm as of late Thursday evening
There are fears that Hurricane Matthew could interact with Hurricane Nicole which has been forming further east over the Atlantic. As of late Thursday evening, Hurricane Nicole is a Category Two storm
The powerful storm is expected to move up the coast and it will gradually lose speed but the winds will still be as high as 105mph on Saturday morning
As of 2am on Friday, tropical storm-force winds had already been impacting Florida's east coast. The storm was 45 miles east of Vero Beach, Florida at 2am with winds of 120mph moving northwest at 14mph
Matthew is expected to eventually head back into the Atlantic after making its way up past the East Coast but there are fears it could collide with Nicole, another hurricane forming 345 miles south of Bermuda. By late Thursday evening, Nicole had become a Category Two hurricane.
If the storms get in each other's path, experts fear it could create the Fujiwara effect, named after Japanese meteorologist Sakarei Fujiwara, which occurs when two tropical cyclones are less than 900 miles apart. It could cause one storm to be consumed by another or both to rotate cyclonically about each other.
Some models see Matthew doing a U-turn and head back to Florida for a devastating double hit.
Gov. Rick Scott announced that he has authorized another 1,000 National Guards after he activated 2,500 on Thursday to help with the evacuations across the state - and the aftermath of the hurricane. Another 4,000 available if needed, Scott said.
'We are going to get ready, but this is going to be catastrophic,' he warned. 'If you need to evacuate and you haven't, evacuate. Time is running out.'
The storm could have devastating consequences for Florida residents, many of whom have fled their homes with no idea of what state they will be in when they return.
Rosa Linda Román and her family are terrified after pouring their dreams into their new home: a boat docked in West Palm Beach, Florida.
'The boat is in direct path of the hurricane at this point. If it hits as the model predicts, we will not have a home anymore,' Román said.
Gov Scott, warned his state that they needed to 'prepare for a direct hit' as he declared a state of 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.'
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
In the eye of the storm: Most of Florida's east coast, along with the Bahamas has been placed on a Hurricane Warning
Parts of Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina are expected to receive heavy rain up to 15 inches from the storm
There is a widespread power outage threat that is expected between Florida and parts of North Carolina from the storm
The 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
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The International Space Station cameras captured the above image on Thursday of massive Hurricane Matthew as it was moving through the Bahamas as a Category 4 hurricane
However, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division confirmed there are 'NO plans to cut power in S.C. prior to the storm.'
The National Weather Service also warned that the hurricane could cause the 'complete destruction of mobile homes' adding that certain areas could be rendered 'uninhabitable for weeks of months'.
Some 3,000 people checked into shelters across Florida as residents were urged to evacuate their homes.
In preparation, residents flocked to hardware stores, grocery stores and gas stations, stripping them of vital supplies.
Nine-year-old Gavin Lickber plays a card game with his grandmother in a makeshift shelter at the Timberlin Creek Elementary School in St. Augustine, Florida, on October 6
Members of National Guard units 1782 and 172 of Chester and Lancaster, South Carolina, prepare for deployment
Members of National Guard units 1782 and 172 of Chester and Lancaster, South Carolina, prepare for deployment for Hurricane Matthew service in Conway, South Carolina on Thursday
This US Navy photo shows Amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7)as it departs Naval Station Mayport in preparation of Hurricane Matthew's arrival onto Florida's eastern coast on October 5, 2016
The evacuation has turned some popular coastal areas into desolate ghost towns.
Daytona Beach, which is normally a bustling Florida resort - even in October - was eerily quiet after home and businesses owners bordered up their properties and left town.
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.
THOUSANDS OF FLIGHTS CANCELLED, TRAIN SERVICES SUSPENDED AND CRUISES REROUTED AS MATTHEW SPARKS TRAVEL CHAOS
Flights have been cancelled, Amtrak services are suspended and streets are gridlocked as Florida braces itself for the deadly Hurricane Matthew.
Flights in and out of Florida were seriously affected on Thursday after the state's main airports announced closures, cancellations and delays.
Fort Lauderdale International Airport, Florida, was closed from 10.30am Thursday.
Miami International Airport announced it was planning to cancel 100 flights, both arriving and departing the airport on Thursday Orlando International Airport planned to 'reduce flights into Orlando and altering schedules starting Thursday, lasting through Friday.'
Flights are cancelled, Amtrak services are suspended and streets are gridlocked as Florida braces itself for the deadly Hurricane Matthew (A man looks at a board announcing all the cancelled flights at Lynden Pindling International Airport in the Bahamas due to Hurricane Matthew)
Airports don't generally operate in sustained crosswinds that exceed 35 mph.
Other airports across Florida have warned customers to check flight status with the airlines before heading to the airport.
American Airlines, South Florida's largest carrier, already canceled most flights slated to depart Thursday from Florida's main airports.
Most airlines, including the likes of American Airlines and Delta, are also letting fliers change to a later flight with no penalty.
Amtrak is also temporarily suspending services in the south due to severe weather impacting the east coast of Florida.
A monitor shows cancelled flights in and out of the Palm Beach International airport in the afternoon as Hurricane Matthew advances, Thursday
The Silver Star 91 & 92 (New York City to Miami), Silver Meteor 97 & 98 (Miami to New York City), and the Auto Train 52 & 53 (Lorton, Va., to Sanford, Florida) services have all been cancelled for Thursday and Friday. No alternative service will run.
Cruise lines are shuffling ship itineraries as PortMiami, PortEverglades and the PortMiami Tunnel were shut down. Other cruises have been delayed or have reduced scheduled to try and avoid the worst of the storm.
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.
Hundreds of thousands were stuck in traffic on highways due to evacuation orders being issued by government officials.
Waterfront hospitals and nursing homes have also been forced to evacuate in the face of the coming storm.
'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.'
Hurricane Matthew moved through Paradise Island, back dropped by Paradise Island bridge in Nassau, Bahamas, Thursday
People listen to an update on Hurricane Matthew after spending a night on beach chairs in a ballroom at the Melia Hotel in Nassau, Bahamas October 6
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.
'I'm not too concerned — it doesn't really bother me much,' he said. 'But it is better to prep.'
Daytona Beach's boardwalk is barren except for one person as the threat of the Category Four storm sends Florida residents fleeing inland
No one's home: Business owners have boarded up their properties, and surrounded them with sandbags as Matthew approaches
A maintenance worker at Mangos Tropical Cafe on Ocean Drive, Florida, (left) attaches plywood on the entrance as a precaution from Hurricane Matthew, while Ronnie Townsend climbs a ladder with his sheet of plywood to secure a third-story window on a home on in the historic Battery section of Charleston, South Carolina
City officials in Charleston, which weathered Category Four Hurricane Hugo almost 30 years ago, warned the city had run out of sandbags after distributing more than for any other storm. The city has distributed more than 15,000 sandbags.
A motorist in South Carolina's Berkeley County was shot and killed by deputies during an altercation over an evacuation route.
Lucas M. Felkel of Moncks Corner, 35, came to a check point, knocked down some traffic cones and sped off. Sheriff Duane Lewis said when deputies caught up with the driver a few miles away he pointed a gun at them and started shooting.
Homeowner Don Appell prepares to board up one of the windows at his home ahead of Hurricane Matthew in Cherry Grove, South Carolina, October 6,
The entire East Coast, up to Virginia, is braced for the approaching hurricane (pictured, a bulldozer creates a sand barrier in Virginia Beach, Virginia)
Get out of the water: JJ Sanguily, of Palm Beach Gardens, surfs at Jupiter Beach Park; Governor Rick Scott of Florida has warned people not to surf, to get out the water and evacuate
A shopper grabs an armful of bread at the grocery store in Folly Beach, South Carolina, which has been left with almost empty shelves as people prepare for the storm
South Florida residents prepare for Hurricane Matthew by purchasing plywood at Home Depot on October 6, in Miami
A woman covers her face as she walks next to a dead body who, according to witnesses, was found after Hurricane Matthew in Cavaillon, Haiti, October 6
Girls hold hands as they help each other wade through a flooded street after the passing of Hurricane Matthew in Les Cayes, Haiti, Thursday
Two days after the storm rampaged across the country's remote southwestern peninsula, authorities and aid workers still lack a clear picture of what they fear is the country's biggest disaster in years
Residents carry a mattress to a shelter after homes were destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in Les Cayes, Haiti, Thursday - two days after the storm rampaged across the country
Trees are down outside a damaged church after the passing of Hurricane Matthew in Les Cayes, Haiti on Thursday
White House press secretary Josh Earnest speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Thursday where he answered questions about Hurricane Matthew
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
Residents stand near a church that had its roof ripped away by Hurricane Matthew in Les Cayes, Haiti, Thursday, as the repair effort continues
Piles of personal items are set out to dry as homeowners cull through the debris of their homes destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in Les Cayes
A United Nations official said Hurricane Matthew has caused the biggest humanitarian crisis in Haiti since the devastating earthquake of 2010.
Strong winds and heavy rain hit Haiti on Tuesday, some 339 people were killed in Haiti, local officials said.
Thousands were displaced after the storm flattened homes, uprooted trees and inundated neighborhoods earlier in the week. Four people were killed in the Dominican Republic, which neighbors Haiti.
Damage and potential casualties in the Bahamas were still unclear as the storm passed near the capital, Nassau, on Thursday and then out over the western end of Grand Bahama Island.
In Haiti a 26-year-old man 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.
Cubans pick up the pieces on Thursday, following the damage and havoc caused by Hurricane Matthew in Baracoa, Cuba, where the streets are littered with rubble
Residents rebuild their homes, and clear up the brick, roofing and other rubble from the street after Matthew battered Baracoa, Cuba
A woman buys multiple loaves of food, while other Cubans queue to buy groceries on Thursday after Hurricane Matthew
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