(CNN) Rosa Linda Román and her family poured their dreams into their new home: a boat docked in West Palm Beach, Florida.

But this week, they started seeing frightening reports about deadly Hurricane Matthew

"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.

When the possible path of the storm became clear, the family attempted to find a marina farther inland, but the ones that could handle a boat the size of theirs already were full.

With Hurricane Matthew swiping Florida as a Category 4 storm, many coastal residents like Román have fled their homes.

More than 2 million people have been urged to flee in parts of Florida, South Carolina and Georgia as a state of emergency has been declared in the three states.

Hurricane Matthew is expected to make landfall early Friday. The storm has killed nearly 300 people in Caribbean countries

Learning what matters

Like many evacuees, Román doesn't know if her family will have a home to return to after the hurricane.

Three months ago, Román, her husband and their three kids moved from New Mexico into a sailing catamaran in Palm Beach. They prepped their boat, called Dawn Treader, for a journey to the Bahamas in December.

But those plans feel very distant now.

Rosa Linda Román, her husband and their three children had to evacuate their home, a boat, because of Hurricane Matthew.

"It's scary," said Ahava Goldfein, Román's 11-year-old daughter. She packed her belongings and helped secure the boat with her parents, to prevent parts from becoming flying projectiles during the storm.

"My dad's been saying: 'Prepare for the worst, hope for the best,' she said. "I wanted a plan. Let's say it hits with the speed that they say it's at. What would we do?"

Ahava and her family crammed what they could into their minivan and said farewell to their home. Román posted a Facebook video with tears in her eyes as the family made last-minute preparations.

They drove across the state to Fort Myers on Wednesday night, away from the storm.

"You learn what's important really fast," Román said, after her family checked into a hotel room. "My kids are getting an early education on what matters. What matters is what's in this hotel room right now."

Rush to stores and roads

As the storm neared Florida, long lines snaked in front of gas stations. Cars crammed highways. Miami officials lifted all tolls on its expressways to aid the exodus.

Shoppers waited in front of a Publix store in Miami Shores, trying to stock up on water, canned foods and batteries. Residents also lamented price increases on high-demand items, although Florida law prohibits price gouging in essentials such as food, water and gas.

"They're expensive, especially, I mean, during a hurricane," said Caroline Levy told CNN affiliate WSVN , about the price of gas. "All kinds of families should have access to get what they need, and it makes it more difficult for everybody."

Evacuees scrambled to find hotels. Many were completely booked.

Cars crammed roads as people fled evacuation zones in Florida as Hurricane Matthew approached.

Like the 'Walking Dead'

Roseanne and Marshall Lesack moved to Boca Raton from California last year. They've been through wildfires and earthquakes -- but this is their first hurricane.

Their rental home didn't have the proper fortifications, so they took their three children to a relative's home, which has aluminum shutters covering the windows.

"It definitely feels like 'The Walking Dead,' like Armageddon," she said of the shuttered effect. "You don't know what's going on outside."

Since they can't look outside, they're keeping the television on to monitor for updates. Unlike in an earthquake, which takes you by surprise, there's time to prepare for a hurricane.

But then, you wait and try to keep your children busy. You play board games, read books, watch movies, bake cookies, muffins and ziti to keep the kids busy. The waiting is the hardest part, Lesack said.

"At the end of the day, we know we're going be safe," she said. "All the stuff can be replaced."

'It's scary'

Karen Kelly said her suitcase is packed, but she doesn't plan to leave Tybee Island, Georgia, despite an evacuation order.

"It's scary, and I didn't sleep last night, you know, (thinking) do you do this? Or do you do this?" she told CNN's Sara Ganim.

The bed and breakfast owner said she hopes to stay on the island in case someone needs her help after the storm hits.

"My No. 1 concern is to make sure that the two- and four-legged creatures on Tybee have somebody here to feed them," she said.

Karen Kelly, who runs a bed and breakfast in Tybee Island, Georgia, said she plans to stay put so she can help people if the storm hits.

Preparing for a 'hurricane party'

In Daytona Beach, Florida, the boardwalk was desolate as tourists and business owners alike took cover.

But not everyone heeded calls to evacuate.

Daniel Myara barricaded his business, Cruisin' Cafe, with plywood and nails as the storm approached.

Boarding up but staying put. Daniel Myara of Cruisin' Cafe says he'll stay open. He's only 150 yards from the beach #HurricaneMatthew pic.twitter.com/47lvkeTsMd — Sara Sidner (@sarasidnerCNN) October 6, 2016

He's not going anywhere. Myara, who's lived in the city for 25 years, said he's prepared with alcohol and beer.

And the new makeshift advertisement sprayed on the wood boards covering his restaurant's windows show it.

"Open," it reads. "Honk for hurricane party inside."

Myara has spent three days securing his fortress. And plenty of money.

"One thing I forgot to do, I should have bought stock in Lowe's and Home Depot," he said. "That would have been nice. "

Playing it by ear

In Charleston, South Carolina, Cheryl Quinn told CNN's Stephanie Elam she was planning to hunker down. She and her husband were fine a year ago when Charleston endured heavy rain after a brush with a big storm.

"It was kind of a party down here. I hate to say that," because storms can be scary, she added.

Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People wade through floodwaters with a boat in Nichols, South Carolina, on Monday, October 10. Hurricane Matthew caused flooding and damage in the Southeast -- from Florida to North Carolina -- after slamming Haiti and other countries in the Caribbean. Hide Caption 1 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Workers repair downed power lines in Daytona Beach, Florida, on October 10. Hide Caption 2 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Rescue teams maneuver through floodwaters in Lumberton, North Carolina, on October 10. President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in North Carolina and ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts. Hide Caption 3 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Floodwaters inundate a home in Lumberton on October 10. Hide Caption 4 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Floodwaters surround a house in Nichols, South Carolina, on October 10. Hide Caption 5 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley checks flooding near Nichols on October 10. Hide Caption 6 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Floodwaters surround power lines near Nichols on October 10. Hide Caption 7 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Without power in the hurricane's aftermath, Missy Zinc shines a light so her husband, Shawn, can prepare steaks to grill in Hilton Head, South Carolina, on Sunday, October 9. Hide Caption 8 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Anthony Writebol, left, and his cousin Melissa Hill paddle past a stranded tractor-trailer in Lumberton on October 9. Hide Caption 9 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A man clings to a road sign after trying to swim out to help a stranded truck driver in Hope Mills, North Carolina, on October 9. Both were rescued. Hide Caption 10 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People stop and take pictures of Highway 58, which was flooded in Nashville, North Carolina, on October 9. Hide Caption 11 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Boats are pushed up among twisted docks in Hilton Head on October 9. Hide Caption 12 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Rescue workers help several dogs that were trapped in homes in Pinetops, North Carolina, on October 9. Hide Caption 13 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A section of Wayne Memorial Drive was washed out in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Hide Caption 14 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction John Tweedy wades into the swift-moving floodwaters surrounding his business in McClellanville, South Carolina, on Saturday, October 8. Hide Caption 15 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A woman who gave her name only as Valerie walks along flooded President Street after leaving her homeless camp in Savannah, Georgia, on October 8. Hide Caption 16 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Volunteers clear debris from from a pool at a condominium complex in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, on October 8. Hide Caption 17 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A police officer steps through the remnants of a home leveled by Hurricane Matthew in the tiny beach community of Edisto Beach, South Carolina, on October 8. Hide Caption 18 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A downed tree and power lines block a road on Georgia's St. Simons Island on October 8. Hide Caption 19 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A woman fights the wind in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, on October 8. Hide Caption 20 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Parts of Highway A1A in Flagler Beach, Florida, were washed away by Hurricane Matthew on Friday, October 7. Hide Caption 21 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Water flows over a seawall and fills the streets of St. Augustine, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 22 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Barbara Hearst tapes her storm shutters as Hurricane Matthew nears Charleston, South Carolina, on October 7. Hide Caption 23 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Adam and Alec Selent watch waves crash over a retainer wall at the Ocean Club condominiums in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on October 7. Hide Caption 24 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A damaged boat sits partially submerged on the intercoastal waterway in Melbourne, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 25 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A police officer helps persuade a woman to board a bus and evacuate Savannah, Georgia, on October 7. Hide Caption 26 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Preston Payne tries to hold his umbrella on Georgia's Tybee Island on October 7. Hide Caption 27 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Heavy waves pound boat docks in Cocoa Beach, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 28 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A women helps a dog walk through floodwaters in Port Orange, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 29 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Damage in Cocoa Beach. Hide Caption 30 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Waves crash against a bridge in St. Augustine, Florida. Hide Caption 31 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A car drives past a downed tree as the hurricane moves through Daytona Beach, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 32 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A billboard canvas flaps in the wind after Hurricane Matthew passed North Palm Beach, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 33 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A woman inspects her damaged car under a tree in Fort Pierce, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 34 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A space shuttle model stands near some downed trees after Hurricane Matthew passed by Cocoa Beach. Hide Caption 35 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A woman uses her phone under a battery-operated lantern at a hotel in Titusville, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 36 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Palm trees on Cocoa Beach sway in the wind on October 7. Hide Caption 37 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Firefighters respond to a pre-dawn house fire in Satellite Beach, Florida, that was possibly caused by a downed power line on October 7. Hide Caption 38 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Heavy rain billows in front of Exploration Tower in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 39 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People stand on a beach in Broward County, Florida, as the storm approached the coast on Thursday, October 6. Hide Caption 40 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A police officer walks along the beach in Singer Island, Florida, on October 6. Hide Caption 41 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Kevin Forde and John Haughey put plywood on a Miami Beach window on October 6. Hide Caption 42 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Hurricane Matthew moves through Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas, on October 6. Capt. Stephen Russell, the head of the Bahamas National Emergency Management Authority, said there were many downed trees and power lines but no reports of casualties. Hide Caption 43 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People leave Disney's Magic Kingdom theme park, in heavy rain, after it closed in Orlando, Florida in preparation for the landfall of Hurricane Matthew, on October 6. Hide Caption 44 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A man rakes up debris from a storm drain as he begins cleanup near a damaged gas station in Nassau on October 6. Hide Caption 45 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Residents repair their homes in Les Cayes, Haiti, on October 6. The damage from Hurricane Matthew was especially brutal in southern Haiti, where sustained winds of 130 mph punished the country. Hide Caption 46 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Girls hold hands as they help each other wade through a flooded street in Les Cayes on October 6. Hide Caption 47 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Two days after the storm, authorities and aid workers in Haiti still lacked a clear picture of what they fear is the country's biggest disaster in years. Hide Caption 48 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A supermarket shelf is nearly cleared out in Titusville, Florida, on Wednesday, October 5. Hide Caption 49 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Bumper-to-bumper traffic lines Interstate 26 in Columbia, South Carolina, as people drive west on October 5. Hide Caption 50 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Workers start removing umbrellas and the colorful rocking chairs that line the Cocoa Beach Pier in Cocoa Beach, Florida, on October 5. Hide Caption 51 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People carry a coffin and try to cross the La Digue river on October 5 after a bridge collapsed in Petit-Goave, Haiti. Hide Caption 52 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People cross the La Digue river on October 5. Hide Caption 53 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Evacuees return to their homes in the Carbonera community of Guantanamo, Cuba, on October 5. Hide Caption 54 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People embrace at their damaged home in Baracoa, Cuba. The hurricane rolled across the sparsely populated tip of Cuba, destroying dozens of homes in the country's easternmost city and leaving hundreds of others damaged. Hide Caption 55 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A woman cries amid the rubble of her home in Baracoa. Hide Caption 56 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Bus drivers in North Charleston, South Carolina, wait for word to start evacuations. Hide Caption 57 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction The high winds of Hurricane Matthew roar over Baracoa on Tuesday, October 4. Hide Caption 58 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Beth Johnson fills up her car at a gas station in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, on October 4. Hide Caption 59 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction The mother of two girls who died in the storm is comforted near her home in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on October 4. The girls were killed when a landslide caused by flooding breached the walls of their house. Hide Caption 60 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A worker clears a sewer on a flooded street in Santo Domingo. Hide Caption 61 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Anita Baranyi feeds her baby while keeping an eye on the generator she intends to purchase from a home-improvement store in Oakland Park, Florida, on October 4. Hide Caption 62 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People wade through the flooded streets of Cite Soleil in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince on October 4. Hurricane Matthew is the strongest storm to hit Haiti since 1964 and the first hurricane to make landfall in the country since the devastating earthquake in 2010. Hide Caption 63 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People observe the flooding of a river near Port-au-Prince on October 4. Hide Caption 64 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Children swim in a flooded neighborhood of Santo Domingo on October 4. Hide Caption 65 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A truck used as public transportation drives through flooded streets in Port-au-Prince on October 4. Hide Caption 66 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Hurricane winds blow against palm trees in Port-au-Prince. Hide Caption 67 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A food vendor lays out goods for sale during a light rain in Port-au-Prince on October 4. Hide Caption 68 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Haitian civil protection workers arrive to evacuate the Tabarre region of Haiti on October 3. Hide Caption 69 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Officials urge residents to evacuate their homes in the Grise River area of Tabarre on October 3. Hide Caption 70 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Clouds loom over the hills of the Petionville suburb of Port-au-Prince on October 3. Hide Caption 71 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Families seek shelter from Hurricane Matthew at a university facility in Guantanamo, Cuba. Hide Caption 72 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People near Kingston, Jamaica, take a photo in front of the rough surf produced by Hurricane Matthew on October 3. Hide Caption 73 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A backhoe removes garbage to clear a canal in Port-au-Prince on October 3. Hide Caption 74 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Nice Simon, the mayor of Tabarre, Haiti, holds a baby as she helps evacuate the area along a river. Hide Caption 75 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People stock up on food at a supermarket in Port-au-Prince on Sunday, October 2. Hide Caption 76 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A worker dismantles a traffic light in Santiago before Hurricane Matthew struck Cuba. Hide Caption 77 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Motorists drive through heavy rains in Kingston, Jamaica, on October 2. Hide Caption 78 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Residents of Cuba's Holguin Province line up to buy gas on October 2. Hide Caption 79 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A worker nails a board to a storefront window in Kingston on Saturday, October 1. Hide Caption 80 of 80

Still, Quinn has a hotel reservation just in case.

"We're kind of just playing it by ear."

Officials cautioned residents of Florida, South Carolina and Georgia not to wait to decide whether they should stay or go.

"This is serious. ... We have to prepare for a direct hit. So again, if you need to evacuate and you haven't, evacuate," Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Thursday. "This storm will kill you. Time is running out."

'We accept the risk'

Bill and Linda Stebbins

Bill and Linda Stebbins have made up their minds: They're staying.

They've lived in their Daytona Beach for almost two years, but they've spent their entire lives in the South. They've weathered storms before and they're ready to do it again.

"This is our last home," Bill Stebbins said. "We just felt like we're together and that's all that matters."

They took their last ride in their golf cart Thursday night before the storm is expected to do its worst. They have food and water ready and they've boarded up their windows.

"We would rather be here to take care of what might happen as opposed to being forced away and then coming home to deal with it," Linda Stebbins said.

"It's a personal decision we've made together," her husband added. "We accept the risk."