'Time is up': Killer Matthew to hit Florida with 145mph in hours as storm becomes most powerful Hurricane to strike Florida in 12 YEARS amid warnings it will cause 'immense human suffering'

Matthew could also absorb or combine with Hurricane Nicole, which has formed off coast of Bermuda

There are fears Matthew could hit Florida twice in a matter of days, circling back from the Atlantic

state of emergency in Florida as the hurricane approaches


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.

President Barack Obama declared a federal state of emergency in Florida where the Category Four storm is expected to strike early on Friday morning with winds of up to 145mph.

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 which has already killed at least 140 people in the Caribbean.

'Time is up. You have to evacuate now if you are in an evacuation zone,' Governor Rick Scott of Florida warned this afternoon.

'To everyone on Florida's east coast, if you are reluctant to evacuate, just think of all the people the Hurricane has already killed. You and your family could be among these numbers if you don't take this seriously.'

The powerful hurricane, the fiercest Caribbean storm in nearly a decade, has already killed at least 136 people in Haiti and four in the Dominican Republic. At its height, the hurricane was a Category Five with wind speeds of more than 157 mph.

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.'

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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 overnight

Ominous: Storm clouds rolled in around 4pm on the Siesta Key Beach; Matthew was supposed to touch down on the mainland later this evening or early Friday morning

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

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

One way traffic: Cars can be seen on just one side of the road stretching back for miles along the Florida highway on Thursday

The Georgia Department of Transportation closed the ramp from Hardeman Avenue to I-75 Northbound, Georgia, due to evacuation traffic on Thursday

Evacuations began yesterday in Charleston where dozens of buses with the Greenville, South Carolina school district waited for word when to began ferrying people out of North Charleston

More than two million people in the US have been urged to evacuate their homes before Hurricane Matthew hits the East Coast tonight (people walk along Miami Beach, Florida, October 6)

The hurricane, which is currently battering the Bahamas, is set to strike Florida this evening and move up the East Coast (pictured a man cycles on Miami Beach)

Miami Beach already seems to be suffering high winds and rain today as the Category Four storm approaches

Thousands have already been left without power as the storm bears down on Florida.

Florida Power and Light reported that a combined 12,000 customers in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties have been left without power this afternoon as it warns that 2.5 million statewide will experience outages in the aftermath of the storm.

A national state of emergency was declared in Florida today 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.

The storm gained new muscle over the Bahamas on Thursday morning as it battered the island, intensifying from a Category Three with wind speeds of 120mph, to Category Four with 140mph speeds.

The National Hurricane Center warned at 5am that it was about 60 miles south-southeast of Nassau, the capital, which is located on New Providence – home to about 70 per cent of the country's 250,000 people.

Forecasters said the hurricane is likely to hit Florida at around 8am on Friday before heading northwards past Orlando, Jacksonville and up to Charleston.

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 with maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour, making it a Category 1 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.

G ov. Rick Scott announced that he has authorized another 1,000 National Guards after he activated 2,500 today 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.'

'True Color' satellite image of hurricanes Matthew and Hurricane Nicole as they swirl towards Florida

There are fears that Hurricane Matthew could interact with Hurricane Nicole which has been forming further east over the Atlantic

Hurricane Matthew closes in on the East Coast as it edges ever closer to Florida on Thursday afternoon

This NOAA-NASA Goes East project satellite image shows Hurricane Matthew today in the Caribbean; some 1.5 million people are under evacuation orders in Florida in preparation for Matthew to make a direct hit on the state

Brace yourselves: Matthew is expected to hit the south of Florida with winds of up to 145mph in the early hours of Friday; as it moves up the coast it will gradually lose speed but will still be as high as 110mph on Saturday morning

Forecasters predict Matthew has strengthened to a Category Four hurricane, with speeds of more than 140mph

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

The hurricane is predicted to hit Miami first and will move north, hitting around the coastal town of Port St Lucie at 8am

In the eye of the storm: Most of Florida's east coast, along with the Bahamas has been placed on a Hurricane Warning

Hurricane Matthew has strengthened to a Category Four with wind speeds of 140mph, and could cause surges of up to 11 feet in some areas in Florida

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

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.'

He added that all residents on Florida's Atlantic coast should expect to lose power, 'possibly for a long period of time.'

'We don't know exactly where this storm's going. Don't trust this track.'

He warned of heavy rain, strong rip currents, beach erosion and storm surge.

'Unfortunately this is going to kill people,' he reiterated. 'Evacuate, evacuate, evacuate. Be prepared. Don't take a chance.'

HURRICANE MATTHEW'S PREDICTED PATH OF DESTRUCTION THROUGH THE EAST COAST Thursday: 6pm Matthew, a Category Four hurricane, will move northwest from the Bahamas towards south Florida and Miami which is expected to experience wind speeds of up to 75mph. Thursday: Midnight Wind speeds in Miami will drop as low as 50mph, while in Melbourne, Florida, which is around 180 miles north, speeds will pick up to more than 75mph. Friday: 8am Hurricane Matthew will make a direct hit on Melbourne at 8am, with wind speeds of more than 130mph but will weaken as it moved north along Florida's East Coast. Friday: 8pm By the time it hits Jacksonville, Florida at 8pm, Friday, the hurricane will have dropped down to a Category Three with wind speeds of between 110mph and 130mph. Wind speeds will once again begin to drop as the storm moved north into Georgia. Saturday: 8am Matthew will hit Savannah Georgia but wind speeds will have dropped to less than 110mph making it a Class Two. The hurricane will sustain wind speeds of between 96-110 mph as it moved northeast along the coastal regions of South Carolina Saturday: 8pm Matthew is expected to hit Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with maximum wind speeds of 110mph. The storm will then move northeast, brushing the south coast of North Carolina overnight, and moving out to sea into the Atlantic. Sunday: 8am The hurricane will be over the Atlantic, although residents along the North Carolina coast may still experience some high winds. The storm will continue to move in a southeasterly direction over the ocean into Tuesday. Advertisement

As well as the potential loss of life, researchers at the University of Michigan, Ohio State and Texas A&M have warned Matthew could knock out power for approximately seven million people.

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.

One Florida, resident Randy Jordan of Juniper, told WPEC people were shoving each other as they raced to buy the supplies they needed at the local Home Depot.

'The vibe on the street this morning is pre-panic,' Jordan said. 'By tomorrow, it should just be a brawl.'

Evacuations began Wednesday and at 3pm, Brevard County commissioners ordered one of the Florida's first evacuations for residents of Merritt Island and other barrier islands.

Martin County has also ordered for homes along the Barrier Islands and Sewall's Point, as well as for residents living in low-lying areas or manufactures homes.

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

Some 1.5 million people are under evacuation orders in Florida in preparation for mighty Hurricane Matthew to make a direct hit on the state

Volunteers take care of pets in a makeshift shelter at the Timberlin Creek Elementary School in St. Augustine, Florida, on October 6, 2016, ahead of hurricane Matthew

Heather Flores holds her one-year-old son Bronx Flores while getting settled into a shelter with her other children Jaydin, center, and Paris, right, at Lyman High School in Longwood, Florida

Sandbags are seen in front of the entrance of a hotel in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on October 6, 2016

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory takes a phone call from President Obama while touring the N.C. Emergency Management Eastern Branch office in Kinston, North Carolina, Thursday

Gov. Pat McCrory is greeted as he toured the N.C. Emergency Management Eastern Branch office in Kinston, North Carolina, Thursday, before giving an update on Hurricane Matthew and the state's preparations for the storm

National Guard Staff Sargent Reggie McCall gives instructions to guard units 1782 and 172 before the deploy for duty in Conway, South Carolina

Thousands of National Guard have been deployed along the East Coast to assist with the evacuation efforts and the clean up (Staff Sargent Reggie McCall speaks to one of his guards in Conway, South Carolina today)

Members of National Guard units 1782 and 172 of Chester and Lancaster, South Carolina, prepare for deployment

Thousands of National Guard have been deployed to assist with the evacuation efforts across the East Coast

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

Marines from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit as they load equipment onto the amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) prior to the ship getting underway as evacuation orders were issued across Florida's East Coast

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.

Matthew strengthened from a Category Three to a Four this moring as it bears down on the East Coast

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.

'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.'

Near Miami Beach, The Home Depot in Davie briefly ran out of propane for gas barbecues and the supply of batteries was dwindling.

People bought plywood to cover windows, tarps to put over outdoor furniture and coolers for food storage.

Anesthesiologist Darby Lipka lugged a 20-pound propane tank across the parking lot, saying he had already purchased food and water. He installed hurricane windows years ago so he wouldn't need to erect shutters

'I am just trying to be prepared,' he said.

Moving on: The storm battered the Bahamas with 125 mph winds on Thursday morning as it continued on its destructive path towards the US

Hurricane Matthew moved through Paradise Island, backdropped by Paradise Island bridge in Nassau, Bahamas, Thursday

The head of the Bahamas National Emergency Management Authority, Capt. Stephen Russell, said there were many downed trees and power lines, but no reports of casualties as Matthew blew through Nassau on the island

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

'DON'T #PRAYFORFLORIDA PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE IN HAITI WHO HAD NOWHERE TO GO' With Hurricane Matthews landfall just hours away in Florida, the hashtag #PrayForFlorida is going viral on Twitter. But some Floridians would like the support diverted away to those who may need it more. The Category 4 hurricane has already ripped through Haiti and the Bahamas, where locals don't have the options to flee from the eye of the storm. In Haiti alone, 136 people have been confirmed dead so far, with the number expected to climb as the weather calms. Facebook has activated a feature on its website, allowing those in the affected areas to notify their friends that they are safe. Advertisement

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.'

Disney has now confirmed that all theme parks will be closed at 5pm and won't reopen until Saturday.

South Carolina has told about a quarter million people to leave the coast and Scott's counterpart Gov. Nikki Haley says she currently plans to order more evacuations for two more counties today, bringing the total to about 500,000 people.

At a press conference this morning, she urged South Carolina residents to fuel up and evacuate now as everything from gas stations to pharmacies prepared to close.

'As of 6am this morning, 175,000 people have been evacuated,' she told reporters. 'That's not enough. We need to have more people evacuating.

'If you are still sitting at home, if you have not evacuated; gas stations are getting ready to close, your pharmacies are getting ready to close. Everything is going to leave because people have to protect their own families. We really do need you to think about that.'

Charleston and Beaufort will continue their evacuation, and Horry and Georgetown counties will begin theirs at noon today. Bordering coastal counties - Berkeley, Colleton, Dorchester and Jasper counties - should also evacuate.

'We've been though winter storms. We've been through a 1,000-year flood. A hurricane is different. I don't want anyone to look at the last couple of tragedies we've gone through and think this is similar,' Haley said.

'We want everyone to be careful, we want everyone to take this seriously.'

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

Daytona Beach's boardwalk is barren except for one person as the threat of the Category Four storm sends Florida residents fleeing inland

There is barely a car in sight on the streets surrounding Daytona Beach in Florida on Thursday - a few hours before the hurricane is due to hit there

Clouds cover the sky over the beach near the empty Daytona Beach Boardwalk and Pier in Florida ahead of Hurricane Matthew on Thursday

No one's home: Business owners have boarded up their properties, and surrounded them with sandbags as Matthew appraches

Ray Hayyat hauls sandbags to his store to protect against floodwaters in Daytona Beach, Florida where hundreds of thousands of anxious people boarded up their homes and businesses and grabbed a few belongings to flee inland

Miroslava Roznovjakova, left, and Hayyat place sandbags in front of their store in Daytona Beach, Florida, to guard against flooding on Thursday

A local resident collects sand in a bag from the Neptune beach to use for flood protection at his house ahead of hurricane Matthew in Jacksonville, Florida, on October 6

A local resident collects sand in a bag from the Neptune beach (left) to use for flood protection at his house in Jacksonville, Florida; Meanwhile (right) a local resident jogs at dawn in a coastal line neighborhood in Jacksonville

Danny Askins and Brenden Kavana (R) put up hurricane shutters as they prepare the Sandwiches Sea restaurant as Hurricane Matthew approaches the area on October 6, in Delray Beach, Florida

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

Zeno Louizes spray paints markings on his three stores along the Boardwalk and Pier Thursday, in Daytona Beach, Florida

A woman takes pictures of a girl on the beach while Hurricane Matthew approaches in Melbourne, Florida

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,

Lennard Wiggins works to secure shutters on a a home ahead of Hurricane Matthew on Thursday in Charleston , South Carolina

The entire East Coast, up to Virginia, is braced for the approaching hurricane (pictured, a bulldozer creates a sand barrier in Virginia Beach, Virginia)

As a strong northeast wind blows, a front-end loader and a bulldozer work to build up the sand on Croatan Beach in Virginia Beach, Virginia

A person walks along the windswept Miami Beach in Florida today prior to the arrival of Hurricane Matthew this evening

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 man, wrapped up in waterproofs, walks near the Cocoa Beach Pier as Hurricane Matthew approaches, October 6

THE MOST DEVASTATING HURRICANES IN AMERICAN HISTORY Hurricane Katrina - 2005, left 1,800 people dead and was the costliest storm in U.S. history with damage estimated at $108 billion. It was a Category 3 storm when it made landfall over Louisiana. Hurricane Charley - 2004, hit Florida and then moved onto South and North Carolina. The Category 4 storm was blamed for at least 21 deaths and leaving thousands homeless. The total U.S. damage was estimated to be near $15 billion. Hurricane Andrew -1992, was a Category Four storm that left an estimated 250,000 homeless and caused more than $20 billion in damage in the Bahamas, Florida and Louisiana. Fifty-five people were killed. Great New England Hurricane - 1938, killed around 700 people when it raked the region as a Category Three storm and wiped out railroad tracks, utilities, homes, crops and the fishing industry, according to the National Weather Service. Great Okeechobee Hurricane - 1928, struck Florida as a Category 4 storm, leaving more than 2,500 dead. Lake Okeechobee overflowed, causing disastrous flooding that inundated several communities. Galveston Hurricane - 1900, made landfall in Texas, with winds estimated to be at least 130 miles per hour and a storm surge of a whopping 15 feet. Some 8,000 people died, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says damage estimates exceeded $20 million at the time — roughly $700 million in today's dollars. Source: AP Advertisement

'His actions placed the officers in danger,' local Sheriff Duane Lewis said.

The sheriff says when deputies finally caught up with the driver a few miles away he pointed a gun at deputies and started shooting. The sheriff says the deputies shot back, wounding the man who was taken to the hospital, where he died at 7pm yesterday.

As residents in the Southeast prepared to leave their homes behind, many found that trying to get out of town was difficult due to the sheer numbers of people leaving at the same time.

Hundreds of thousands were stuck in traffic on highways due to evacuation orders being issued by government officials.

'It was bumper to bumper and fairly slow for about 30 to 40 miles on either side of I-95,' Sarah Boessenecker told NBC News.

'However, people were very friendly and easygoing — no honking or impatience'.

'People seemed to know the drill and understand that traffic was going to be bad and had accepted it.'

She and her husband, Robert were trying to make the trip from Charleston, South Carolina to Atlanta, where friends had offered to host them.

For Lydia Dalton, she said it took her family a 'long time to get out of Charleston' on Interstate 26.

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

A lone loaf of bread sits on an empty shelf at a Wal-Mart supermarket in Kissimmee, Florida, after residents rushed to stock up on the essentials ahead of the storm today

Laura and George Callahan of James Island, South Carolina, load up their vehicle with bottled water and food purchased ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Matthew, in Folly Beach, South Carolina

People purchase supplies to protect their homes at a local Home Depot in Kissimmee, Florida, in preparation for the landfall of Hurricane Matthew, on October 6

South Florida residents prepare for Hurricane Matthew by purchasing plywood at Home Depot on October 6, in Miami

James Taylor, 23, right, and his wife, Michelle, 22, of Daytona, Florida, stack plywood for boarding windows on the roof of their car in preparation for Hurricane Matthew at Home Depot

Residents buy plywood ahead of the approaching hurricane, October 6, on Satellite Beach, Florida before the storm hits this evening

Completely empty: This supermarket in Florida has been stripped completely clean by residents either fleeing or bedding down and waiting for the storm to hit

'We thought we were leaving way ahead of everyone else,' Dalton said.

Residents in Charleston and Beaufort counties began their evacuations at noon on Wednesday.

The National Guard was mobilized Wednesday and more than 300 buses had been set aside to transport families fleeing their homes to safety ahead of the storm, and lane reversals leading out of Charleston began at 3pm.

Traffic was backed up for miles as people fled Charleston on Interstate 26, with gasoline a precious commodity with at least half a dozen stations along the coast out of fuel.

Not everyone is heeding the warning to leave, however.

'We're staying because we have to board the house up,' said Buff Schwab, who stocked up on supplies yesterday.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency in 13 coastal counties yesterday because of Hurricane Matthew.

Meanwhile airlines and cruise lines prepared for Matthew by cancelling thousands of flights and rerouting cruise stops.

US airliners cancelled more than 1,500 flights on Wednesday and a further 1,070 on Thursday. Fort Lauderdale airport plans to close at 10.30am today, while Miami and Orlando airports both said they would continue monitoring the storm.

CLINTON PULLS ADDS FROM WEATHER CHANNEL - IN FLORIDA - AFTER GOP SHAMES HER ABOUT CAPITALIZING ON CRISIS Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign was forced to cancel a plan to air $63,000 worth of commercials during broadcasts of The Weather Channel in Florida. Clinton spokesman Jesse Ferguson said Thursday afternoon that Hillary For America has asked the stations to delay the ads until after the storm passes. The Florida Weather Channel ads were part of a multimillion-dollar reshuffling of Clinton ads to reach voters the campaign sees as critical to winning the presidential election. Two states in the path of the storm – Florida and North Carolina – are key battlegrounds that could decide the presidency. But Republican National Committee chairman Reince Priebus characterized the planned spending as cynical opportunism in the face of disaster. 'Couldn't let this crisis go to waste?' Priebus tweeted. 'Shameful @HillaryClinton's campaign even considered exploiting Hurricane Matthew for political gain.' Later he vented in another tweet that '[p]ulling these ads after getting caught won't cut it. @HillaryClinton should apologize for using storm for votes.' Robby Mook, Clinton's campaign manager, said insisted that 'our first priority on Hurricane Matthew is that people are safe.' 'We'll get back to campaigning [in Florida] when it is appropriate,' he said. He also called it 'unfortunate' that Priebus was 'trying to politicize the hurricane.' Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush had cautioned political operatives to avoid making hay with the storm. 'I encourage both presidential campaigns to be sensitive to all affected by Hurricane #Matthew in the coming days,' he tweeted. Advertisement

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 arrange clothes soaked by Hurricane Matthew on tombs at a cemetery in Les Cayes, Haiti, after the storm rampaged across the country's remote southwestern peninsula

Haitian people cross the river La Digue in Petit Goave where the bridge collapsed during the rains from Hurricane Matthew, southwest of Port-au-Prince, October 6

Residents repair their homes destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in Les Cayes, Haiti, Thursday, October 6

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 today

Residents stand near a church that had its roof ripped away by Hurricane Matthew in Les Cayes, Haiti, Thursday, as the repair effort continues

Victor Farah and her daughter sit in the ruins of their home destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in Les Cayes, Haiti, Thursday

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

American Airlines is expected to see the most cancellations, as the company has large operations in Miami and Charlotte. American and most other airlines are letting passengers change travel plans without penalty if their trip is affected.

Several ports in Miami closed Wednesday and Thursday, with ships already at sea being rerouted to western Caribbean routes. The Carnival Sensation, which was set to sail from Miami Thursday will instead sail on Friday, assuming PortMiami reopens, conditions permitting.

The White House said President Barack Obama canceled a campaign and health care events in Florida on Wednesday and would instead visit the headquarters of the Federal Emergency Management Agency for an update.

In Georgia, residents have also begun to evacuate ahead of the approaching storm.

On Tybee Island, home to Georgia's largest public beach, Loren Kook loaded up his pickup truck with suitcases and a computer late Wednesday afternoon to hit the road to metro Atlanta.

'It seems like a lot of the longtime residents are staying,' said Kook, who moved to the coast four years ago. 'I've never sat through a Category Whatever. I'll watch it on TV.'

Several cruise ships are being rerouted from their regularly scheduled Caribbean and Bahamas ports to Key West. Key West is about 40 miles south of the portion of the Florida not currently under a tropical storm warning.

Rick Scott speaks about Hurricane Matthew on Thursday October 6, as he warns affected Florida residents to evacuate their homes

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

Gov. Nathan Deal enters the governor's ceremonial office where he ordered mandatory evacuations for all coastal residents east of Interstate 95, Thursday

As Hurricane Matthew approached the Bahamas, officials say nine Royal Bahamas Defence Force vessels have moored at Truman Harbor in Key West.

Naval Air Station Key West spokeswoman Trice Denny says a University of Miami Rosentiel School research called the Whalton Smith is expected to arrive in port in Key West on Wednesday.

Officials are also expecting the USNS Spearhead on Saturday, a 337-foot-long joint (Navy/Army) high-speed catamaran vessel, to be positioned in Key West for possible aid missions.

The Department of State had also authorized family members of US government employees to depart the Bahamas, and issued a travel warning for the area.

Dangerous high winds caused destruction as they whipped through Haiti, southern Cuba and the Dominican Republic yesterday, with flooding and landslides destroying homes, businesses and bringing down electricity lines.

Haiti's interior ministry said that 65 people had died on the island, many killed by falling trees, flying debris and swollen rivers. The number includes a group of 24 people killed in the coastal town of Roche-a-Bateau.

'I've never seen anything like this,' said the town's delegate Louis Paul Raphael.

Four people have also died in the the neighboring Dominican Republic.

In Cuba, residents were seen walking through the rubble strewn streets, and digging through the remains of broken buildings trying to recover their belongings.

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

Two men begin the long task of fixing the roof, and broken fencing at a house in Baracoa, Cuba which was caused by Matthew

Cubans, on Thursday, sit on their broken balconies and assess the damage and havoc caused by Hurricane Matthew

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, which revised its death toll to 108, including a 26-year-old man who 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.

Lucas M. Felkel of Moncks Corner, 35, was shot and killed by deputies during an altercation over an evacuation route

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.

But with a key bridge washed out, roads impassable and phone communications down, the western tip of Haiti was isolated and there was no word on dead and injured.

Hours after Matthew swept onto the remote area with 145 mph winds, government leaders said they weren't close to fully gauging the impact in the vulnerable, flood-prone country where less powerful storms have killed thousands.

International aid efforts were stymied Tuesday because of the lack of access to the hardest-hit areas, many residents of flooded areas seen by Associated Press reporters were wading through shin-high waters.

Muddy rivers and tributaries continued to rise as water flowed down hillsides and mountains, making more flash floods and mudslides possible even Matthew tracked away from the country.

During a weather forecast on Tuesday, the deadly storm seemed to take on an ominous skull shape to the shock of many viewers.

The creepy picture, which appears to show a white grinning skull with a glowing red eye, was taken from a NASA satellite and shows the hurricane as it made landfall in Haiti. Many took the 'skull of Matthew's' eye, as a bad omen as the deadly storm moves towards to U.S.

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 today 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 was planning to cancel 100 flights, both arriving and departing the airport today. 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) A irports 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. Advertisement

'I can confirm this satellite image of Matthew's landfall is REAL and not photoshopped,' said Matt Devitt, from the WINK News team in Florida, was noticed the skull while giving a forecast yesterday

'Captured this morning during my weathercast. Freaky!'

However, meteorologists were quick to assure the public that the image was simply a fluke, as the map used different colors used to identified the strongest part of the storm.

Hurricane Hermine became the first to strike Florida since Wilma in 2005 when it hit the eastern Panhandle on September 2 as a Category One storm, causing one death, storm surge damage to beachfront homes and downed trees and powerlines.

That 11-year lull between storms hitting Florida was the longest on record. The last storm to hit the Atlantic side of Florida was Hurricane Katrina, which struck in 2005 on its way to devastating the Gulf coast.

Wilma made landfall as a Category Three storm with 120 mph winds, killing five people as it pushed from southwest Florida, through the Everglades and into the Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach area, causing an estimated $21 billion in damage and leaving thousands of residents without power for more than a week.