Hurricane watch issued in Florida as Matthew pummels Haiti

Starting around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, some highways and interstates in SC began lane reversals to help expedite the evacuation, according to GreenvilleOnline.com.

The Triad could get rain and gusty winds from Hurricane Matthew by the weekend, while its eye could hug the East Coast and possibly make landfall in the Carolinas.

Clogged gutters can create a mess and lead to damage if Matthew brings heavy rain to the area.

Hurricane Matthew approaches Port-au-Prince, Haiti, October 3, 2016.

Storm Team 4 meteorologist Chuck Bell says Hurricane Matthew could bring risky conditions to a large portion of the Atlantic Coast, from Miami to the Outer Banks. NBC News reports that three people have died in the Caribbean country as a result of the storm and one person remains missing. The storm was moving north at 7 miles per hour (11 kph). “What we’re looking at here is a lot of flooding”.

Aid agencies fear for the safety of 60,000 pregnant women in the south of the region, who are likely to be left with reduced access to medical care.

“. People need to take it seriously”, he said.

“That’s an unprecedented streak, going back to 1900-the longest drought before the current one was almost 1,000 days shorter”, according to Time magazine. “It’s something we’re really anxious about now”.

Haiti was devastated by a 7.0 magnitude quake in 2010 that killed over 200,000 people.

Trees and rooftops blown away by the powerful storm. Tidal flooding would also not be a major concern, due to the storm track and fast movement. Make sure they’re clean just in case, and work when it’s safe.

Hurricane Matthew is bearing down on the Caribbean, Jamaica and Haiti Tuesday morning.

As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, the hurricane was a Category 4 storm, with maximum sustained winds of 230 km/h. How does Matthew compare to other US hurricanes?

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said: “We can not rule out a direct hit on our state”. A hurricane watch extends from Deerfield Beach to the Volusia/Brevard county line, including Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach and Cape Canaveral.

Matthew formed as a tropical storm on September 28 and quickly developed into a hurricane by the following day.

The South Carolina Emergency Management Division has also partially activated its State Emergency Operations Center.

While it is forecast to stay to our east, impacts could be felt in parts of the Florida peninsula, particularly close to the coast.

The state’s governor told residents along the state’s east coast “If you are able to leave early, leave now”.