Hurricane Matthew Impacts in Florida
As of 6AM on Friday Hurricane Matthew has remained offshore of Florida but hurricane conditions are and will continue to be felt on the coast and inland. Matthew was downgraded from a category 4 to a category 3 storm early on Friday morning with winds in the eye offshore upwards to 120 mph.
Cape Canaveral has experienced the highest wind gusts inland with wind gusts upwards to 100 mph as the western eye-wall brushed alongside the outlet. Widespread wind gusts of 70 mph and greater have also been recorded along the Florida coast this morning.
Matthew will continue to move north-northeast throughout the day and will remain dangerously close to the Florida and southern Georgia coast. Jacksonville should experience hurricane force winds later Friday afternoon, taking into account hurricane winds increase rapidly with height so those in downtown Jacksonville approximately 30 stories above the ground will see winds one category (30 mph greater) than the surface. Other life-threatening impacts possible with the storm today are widespread storm surge upwards to 7-11 feet in some areas. Keep in mind storm surge is the increase in still water levels, large swells will occur above this level. Heavy rain will also bring flooding to coastal waterways and inland streams and rivers.
This will certainly be a significant weather day for Florida coast residents and will potentially be a significant weather weekend for Georgia and South Carolina as Hurricane Matthew makes its way northward just offshore the coast at 13 mph.
