Editors

USA TODAY

Hurricane Matthew is the most powerful storm to threaten the Southeast coast in more than a decade. Here's what we know:

Where is the storm now?

Matthew continues to head north toward the South Carolina coast. The National Hurricane Center downgraded the storm to a Category 2 hurricane earlier Friday, and as of 2 a.m. ET Saturday, Matthew was located 95 miles southwest of Charleston, S.C., moving 12 mph.

The hurricane continues to pack sustained winds up to 105 mph, threatening devastating storm surges in a four-state area. At a mid-morning press conference on Friday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott said the "worst effects are still likely to come," referring to a possible turn toward the coast and a likely storm surge in the Jacksonville area.

Where is the storm headed?

Matthew is moving north at 12 mph towards the coast of South Carolina in the morning and is expected to move in the same motion Saturday night near the coast of southern North Carolina.

In Georgia, more than 500,000 people fled the coastal areas for the interior, and thousands sought refuge at shelters. Forecasters expect Matthew to stick close to 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.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley made a blunt statement to residents: "This is the last time you will hear my voice asking you to evacuate," she said, calling out islands and cities by name. State officials were particularly worried about high water, in the form of 8-foot storm surges, inundating barrier islands and bringing life-threatening flooding to historic Charleston.

President Obama declared a state of emergency in North Carolina Friday, following similar declarations for Florida, Georgia and South Carolina

The National Hurricane Center extended a hurricane warning to North Carolina too. The center also said the storm is expected to weaken in the next 48 hours but will remain a hurricane until Sunday.

Keep an eye on storm surges

Matthew is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 8 to 12 inches over the Atlantic coast from central Florida to eastern North Carolina, forecasters said. Some areas could see as much as 15 inches, which could lead to flooding and flash flooding, even in inland areas. The most important threat comes from storm surges, which have been predicted to be as high as 12 feet. After meeting with FEMA officials, President Obama urged those living in affected areas to listen to local officials. “If they tell you to evacuate, you need to get out of there and move to higher ground,” adding that “we can always replace property, but we cannot replace lives.”

The power outages affecting more than a million people

More than one million customers in Florida were without power Friday. The number continues to climb as the storm moves closer to the coast and heads north. Up to 2.5 million Florida Power & Light customers could lose power, officials said.

Travel problems mount

Matthew is wreaking havoc on the travel industry. The Fort Lauderdale and Orlando airports shut down, and some cruises were being rerouted. Disney World and other theme parks were closed.

Airports in southern Florida have resumed limited flight schedules, but flights remain halted in the north where Matthew continues to spin. Since Wednesday, airlines had canceled more than 4,500 flights nationwide. As the storm moves north, so do cancellations with Atlanta, Charleston and Savannah taking the largest hits.

Haiti: Matthew left a broad swath of destruction

Hundreds of people are dead in Haiti as a result of Matthew, with the death toll reaching as high as 800 people, Reuters reported. Matthew is the most powerful single hurricane on record to make landfall in Haiti, Cuba and the Bahamas. At least four died in the Dominican Republic, Haiti's neighbor on the island of Hispaniola.

More hurricane coverage:



• Matthew batters Florida coast

• 2.5 million expected to lose power

• Here's a look at storm surge happen

• Take these insurance precautions now

• Drudge takes heat for implying the hurricane is a government lie

• Death toll rises in Haiti

• A link to full coverage of Hurricane Matthew

Contributing: Associated Press