Hurricane Matthew Threatens Florida, the Carolinas
05 October 2016 - 1:20PM
Dow Jones News
As Hurricane Matthew lashed Haiti and other parts of the
Caribbean Tuesday, people along the U.S. East Coast prepared for
the storm's expected move north.
The category 4 storm could hit the Bahamas by 8 a.m. Wednesday,
according to the latest forecasts by the National Hurricane Center.
Then it may veer northwest to bring rain, high winds and storm
surges to Florida's coast starting Thursday.
The storm, described by the hurricane center as "extremely
dangerous," isn't likely to reach landfall on the continental U.S.
until Saturday morning, somewhere around the South Carolina/North
Carolina border. At that time, the storm may lose some of its
intensity, according to the center's latest forecast.
Governors of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas have declared
states of emergency.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said at a press conference
Tuesday afternoon that she ordered evacuations of coastal
communities to begin Wednesday. She urged people to fill up on
gasoline and drive at least 100 miles inland. Medical evacuations
of the coast began Tuesday afternoon and the state mobilized 1,800
National Guard troops to help clear the area.
"If Hurricane Matthew directly impacts Florida, there could be
massive destruction which we haven't seen since Hurricane Andrew
devastated Miami-Dade County in 1992," Florida Gov. Rick Scott said
Monday in a release.
The storm already has complicated air travel to and from the
Caribbean and southern Florida.
Some airlines began to preemptively cancel a few flights to keep
their passengers and planes out of harm's way. Many offered waivers
so fliers could change their travel dates without incurring change
fees or fare changes.
As of Tuesday afternoon, flight-tracking service FlightAware.com
listed 447 flights canceled worldwide, including 89 within, to or
from the U.S. The hardest hit airports appeared to be Miami and
Fort Lauderdale, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Havana, Cuba. Airline
officials said several airports in Haiti and Cuba were still
closed.
American Airlines Group Inc., showed the most cancellations,
according to FlightAware. Cubana, the flag carrier of Cuba, had
some, along with Southwest Airlines Co. and JetBlue Airways Corp.
If Matthew makes landfall in Florida or even comes close to the
shoreline, it is likely more flights will be scrubbed in the coming
days. But the storm's path for now isn't clear.
Along the southern Atlantic Coast, people rushed to buy staples
such as bread and milk or things they needed to protect themselves
or their property. Thomas White said his family owned Hall Hardware
Inc. in West Palm Beach, Fla., saw a 400% increase in business
Tuesday. He said all hurricane-preparations items—plywood, screws,
lanterns, batteries and other goods—had been sold out by early
afternoon.
"We're seeing a big rush," said Mr. White, 32 years old.
The weather in South Florida Tuesday, however, was sunny and
warm. Tony Chateauvert, head golf professional and manager at the
Town of Palm Beach's golf course, right near the ocean, said he was
watching the forecasts and would decide Wednesday morning whether
to start closing up the clubhouse and storing equipment.
"We have to wait to see what the storm is really going to do
before we panic," he said.
Write to Cameron McWhirter at cameron.mcwhirter@wsj.com and
Susan Carey at susan.carey@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
October 04, 2016 22:05 ET (02:05 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2016 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU)
Historical Stock Chart
From Apr 2024 to May 2024
JetBlue Airways (NASDAQ:JBLU)
Historical Stock Chart
From May 2023 to May 2024