FLORIDA TODAY staff

Hurricane Matthew forces evacuation of Brevard barrier islands

Brevard County Public Schools are closed Thursday and Friday.

Update: See new Hurricane Matthew updates here.

Parts of the east coast of Florida are now under a hurricane warning as Hurricane Matthew's projected path continues to show the monster storm heading toward the Sunshine State.

The Category 4 storm was expected to move parallel to Florida's eastern coast Thursday into Friday morning, producing at least tropical storm conditions for Brevard County and neighboring counties.

Hurricane warnings are now in effect for Florida's Atlantic coast from north of Golden Beach to Sebastian Inlet and Lake Okeechobee. Brevard County continues to be under a hurricane watch.

Hurricane conditions were expected within the hurricane warning area in Florida by late Thursday.

A mandatory evacuation of Brevard County's barrier island is in effect.

The evacuation also includes Merritt Island, low-lying flood-prone areas, and mobile or manufactured homes, said Don Walker, county spokesman.

Because the storm is forecast to closely parallel the shore even small shifts in the storm track can have big consequences, said Scott Kelly, National Weather Service meteorologist.

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“The track is taking it up to our proximity,” said John Pendergrast, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne.

Florida. Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency for all counties in Florida and said residents should be prepared for the storm's possible arrival.

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Other potential issues facing the county in the event Hurricane Matthew hugs the shoreline include beach erosion and damage to infrastructures such as sewage lift stations and roadways. Weather officials also added that Tropical Storm Nicole has also formed in the Atlantic, the 14th named storm of an already busy hurricane season.

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Walker said residents should by now have water, food, medicine and other supplies stocked. Sandbags were also being made available for residents living in low-lying areas. Flashlights, batteries should also be on hand has power outages may also be a major issue to deal in the aftermath of any storm, officials point out. Several cities, such as Palm Bay, are gathering discussing hurricane response plans. The city of Cocoa Beach has also issued a state of emergency proclamation.

Patrick Air Force Base was at HURCON 4 Tuesday, meaning winds in excess of 45 miles per hour were expected within 96 hours. HURCON is used to communicate the time frame for hurricane and tropical storm impacts, with HURCON 5 meaning that hurricane season is underway and HURCON 1 meaning winds of 45 miles per hour or more are expected to reach the base within 24 hours.

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale rates hurricanes on 1 to 5 rating based on the maximum sustained wind speed, according to the National Hurricane Center. Major hurricanes are those with wind speeds 111 mph or greater. The scale:

Category 1: 74-95 mph

74-95 mph Category 2: 96-110 mph

96-110 mph Category 3: 111-129 mph

111-129 mph Category 4: 130-156 mph

130-156 mph Category 5: 157 mph+

This story will be updated.

Elliott Jones of TCPalm contributed to this report.