Gov. McCrory reports 7 hurricane-related deaths in North Carolina

Three people had died in the storm as of Saturday, Gov. Pat McCrory said at a news conference.

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Below is the latest on Hurricane Matthew -- keep refreshing this page (all times local):

SUNDAY

6:20 p.m.

East Carolina University's football team had an arduous journey back to Greenville after its game with the University of South Florida in Tampa.

Pirate IMG Network engineer David Horn said Sunday the team was scheduled to fly back to Greenville after the game on Saturday, but the effects of Hurricane Matthew prevented the team from landing their charter at Pitt-Greenville Airport. Instead, the plane was diverted to Richmond, Virginia.

From Richmond, the team was planning to travel by bus to Greenville. Because Interstate 95 was closed near Roanoke Rapids, the team traveled there by bus and checked into local motels by midnight. The buses then took the team back to Greenville, where people associated with the team went to retrieve cars left there during the trip.

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4 p.m.

Eight people have died in Hurricane Matthew, and five are missing, Gov. Pat McCrory said. Evacuations had started in some towns and were being considered in others, he said. More than 770,000 remained without power.

"A day and a half ago, we warned that this was going to be like Hurricane Floyd," McCrory said. "I was afraid that we were exaggerating. Now I'm having people from eastern North Carolina tell us that we may have underestimated this."

A mandatory evacuation began Sunday in Princeville, the oldest town in the nation incorporated by freed slaves with an incorporation date of Feb. 20, 1885. The town was rebuilt after Floyd, which left 23 feet of water standing in 90 percent of the town when it hit in September 1999.

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1:30 p.m.

Emergency officials say a 63-year-old woman clung to a tree for three hours after floodwaters from Hurricane Matthew swept her car into a canal in Wilson.

Wilson County Emergency Management Director Gordon Deno says the woman was on her way home from work at a long-term care facility where she's a nurse or a nursing assistant. She left about 11:30 p.m. Saturday, and her family called 911 when she didn't get to her home in nearby Wayne County.

Emergency responders sat on top of a Humvee as they retraced her route so they could look and listen for anyone in distress.

They heard someone "hollering" and tried to rescue her with a rope but couldn't. Deno says a National Guard soldier jumped in the water and swam to her, staying a rescued boat arrived.

She was tired and suffering from hypothermia so she was taken to a hospital. Deno didn't know if she's still there.

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12:05 p.m.

The Red Cross reports that nearly 4,000 people spent the night in shelters as Hurricane Matthew dumped rain across the eastern and central parts of North Carolina.

The Red Cross said in a statement that 3,824 people stayed in 80 Red Cross or partner shelters Saturday night because of power outages, flooded and closed roads, and water shortages.

The Red Cross expects the number of people in shelters to increase as people discover flood and storm damage to their homes.

The agency said 14 emergency response vehicles were going into communities Sunday to distribute food and cleanup kits to residents.

More than 180 Red Cross volunteers are involved in the efforts.

11 a.m.:

There have been at least 15 hurricane-related deaths in the nation, ABC News reports.

10:30 a.m.:

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said one person died Saturday trying to drive through a flooded area. She asked residents not to drive through barricades and not to use emergency lanes. There are 2,800 National Guard members in the state to support local law enforcement and help with water rescues. Evacuation orders have been lifted for all residents in Charleston, Dorchester, Berkeley and Colleton counties. All lanes of I-95 in South Carolina are open between Exit 68 SC-61 and the Georgia State line.

9 a.m: 

Gov. Pat McCrory said there have been 7 storm-related deaths and 887 rescues. One person was killed in Pitt County, one in Sampson, two in Bladen, one in Harnett and two in Johnson. There are more than 760,000 power outages, more than 80 shelters and 4,200 shelter occupants in the state. There are five counties with 911 system outages.

6 a.m.: 

There are about 3,000 Duke Energy customers without power in Mecklenburg County.

5:30 a.m.:

Matthew has weakened to a post-tropical cyclone, which means the system no longer possesses tropical characteristics such as an eye. It is still producing 75 mph winds as it moves east at 14 mph.

The cyclone was situated east of Morehead City and Ocracoke Sunday morning​.

It is still expected to head east Sunday afternoon, away from the Carolina coastline.

12:15 a.m.

There are 4,400 Duke Energy customers without power in Mecklenburg County and nearly 10,000 in Chesterfield County, S.C.

SATURDAY

11 p.m.

Hurricane Matthew is losing its tropical characteristics but is still considered a Category 1 storm.

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8:15 p.m.

Matthew is still a weak hurricane off the North Carolina coast and is causing record-breaking flooding in the state.

At 8 p.m. EDT, the center of the storm was about 40 east of Cape Fear and had sustained winds of about 75 mph. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the storm is expected to weaken.

Forecasters say they are receiving numerous reports of flooded homes, businesses and roads in Raleigh.

At least 10 people have been killed in the U.S., including three in North Carolina.

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6:15 p.m.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency and its federal partners continue to mobilize resources and personnel to support state, local and tribal efforts in the southeast U.S. as the possibility of dangerous conditions and flooding continues in some areas.

As of this morning, more than 680 FEMA staff are deployed to impacted states in support of response and recovery efforts for Hurricane Matthew and thousands more remain on alert to support recovery efforts, as needed.

FEMA has made available more than 1,427,000 meals, more than 958,000 liters of water, and more than 48,000 blankets for state, tribal, and local officials to distribute to individuals.  These points of distribution are centralized locations established by state or local officials where supplies are delivered.

A breakdown by state:

• North Carolina: More than 570,000 meals; 26,000 blankets
• South Carolina: More than 250,000 meals; 4,500 blankets
• Florida: More than 71,000 meals; 341,000 liters of water
• Georgia: More than 535,000 meals, 617,000 liters of water; 17,000 blankets

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5:30 p.m.

Flash flood watch canceled for York and Chester counties. A wind advisory remains in effect until 2 a.m.

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5:15 p.m.

A third fatality related to harsh weather brought on by Hurricane Matthew has been reported in Georgia, bringing the U.S. death toll from the storm to 10.

Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police said in a statement Saturday that they are investigating the death of a man at his home, possibly from structural damage caused by a fallen tree.

Two other deaths in Georgia occurred in Bulloch County. Three deaths have been reported in North Carolina, and four have occurred in Florida.

Those numbers pale in comparison to Haiti, which counted 470 dead in one district alone when Hurricane Matthew swept through the Caribbean island as a Category 4 storm. It has since weakened to a Category 1.

5 p.m.

Flood warning was issued for Chesterfield County.

4:15 p.m.

Duke Energy power outages

• NC= 269,510
• SC= 150,568

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3:45 p.m.

Emergency officials say there have been 42 water rescues in the county surrounding Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Cumberland County officials said at a briefing Saturday afternoon that roads are flooding faster than crews can get out to block them.

They urged people to stay off the roads and shelter in place.

They said the flooded roads are making it difficult for crews that are working to restore power to those affected by 1,500 outages.

3 p.m.

The historic Springmaid Pier in Myrtle Beach is gone, according to reports from our ABC affiliate WPDE.

A large part of the Surfside Beach pier has been washed away by Hurricane Matthew, according to the Town of Surfside Beach.

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2:45 p.m.

Gov. Pat McCrory says three people have died in North Carolina as Hurricane Matthew dumps heavy rains on the state.

McCrory said at a news conference Saturday that two people died in a submerged car in Bladen County, and one person died when a car hydroplaned in Sampson County. He provided no other details on the deaths.

The governor advised people to stay home and not to drive anywhere from Raleigh and further to the east. He also warned that the storm will turn around and go through the coastal area again Saturday.

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2:00 p.m.

The South Carolina DOT has closed the iconic Arthur Ravenel, Jr. bridge out of an abundance of caution and until an engineering inspection can be completed.

SCDOT engineers are taking these steps to ensure the safety of drivers. The cable-stay design of the Ravenel Bridge allows for some movement of it, but Hurricane Matthew is the bridge’s first exposure to significant storm force winds.

The SCDOT said it will return the bridge to service as soon as possible, pending the outcome of the physical inspection.

1:45 p.m.

Meteorologist John Ahrens has arrived at a house with possible tornado damage in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

1:20 p.m.

All of downtown Pageland, S.C. is without power, according to reporter Greg Suskin.

11:20 a.m. FORECAST

Matthew is still a category 1, producing 75 mph winds as it moves to the northeast. Heavy rain and high winds plus high tide are expected to bring devastating damage to Myrtle Beach later Saturday afternoon.

Matthew is forecasted to weaken to a tropical storm by Saturday night as it passes through Wilmington. It will then weaken into a tropical depression by the end of the weekend, taking that loop back to the southeast. ​

There are reports of 2-2.5 inches of rain across Charlotte, with upwards of 3-4 inches already in Chesterfield County. Channel 9 has been clocking gusts up to 40-50 mph so far Saturday afternoon. The trend will continue, so watch for flooding and tree damage shots.  Rain still looks to clear out by Saturday evening, with breezy conditions expected to continue through Sunday.

10:45 a.m.: 

Hurricane Matthew made landfall southeast of McClellanville, S.C. The town is about 40 miles up the coast from Charleston.

11 a.m.:

About 10,000 Duke Energy customers are without power in Mecklenburg County. Click here to see the outage map.

10:33 a.m.:

The Bank of America 500 has been postponed until Sunday at 12 p.m. at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

10 a.m.:

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said 437,000 people are without power in the state. She also warned residents not to click on an email about power outages as it contain a virus.

VIDEO: Gov. Nikki Haley speaks on hurricane Matthew

9:20 a.m.: 

The S.C. Emergency Response Team asked residents from Hilton Head to North Myrtle Beach to stay away from evacuated areas as hurricane Matthew will continue to hug the coast for the next 12 hours.

8:13 a.m.: 

A flash flood warning has been issued for Anson and Richmond counties until 2 p.m.

8 a.m.: 

Hurricane Matthew has been downgraded to a category 1 storm, producing 85 mph wind.

7:20 a.m.: 

Interstate 95 is closed in both directions in Bluffton, near Hilton Head, South Carolina, because water is covering the road.

7 a.m.: 

The heaviest rains are occurring from Edisto Beach to Sullivans Island, including downtown Charleston associated with the western eye of the hurricane. Extreme rainfall rates combined with ongoing very high surge will produce dangerous, life threatening flash flooding in coastal communities.

6 a.m.:

The tide gauge at Fort Sumter in Charleston peaked at 9.29 feet. The reading is the third highest on record and the highest since hurricane Hugo.

5 a.m.: 

Matthew is still a Category 2, producing winds around 105 mph Saturday morning. It has not made landfall, but is within 20 miles from the South Carolina coast.

The storm is forecasted to impact Charleston Saturday afternoon, before moving into Wilmington as a Cat 1 Saturday night.

Meanwhile, in the Charlotte area, we have received 1 inch of rain at the airport so far Saturday morning. A flash flood watch remains until 6 a.m. Sunday, with a wind advisory through the start of the day on Sunday. Wind gusts up to 35-40 mph will be possible.

2 a.m.:

Hurricane Matthew continues to move north off the Georgia coast and its center is forecast to move near or over the South Carolina coast Saturday morning, the National Hurricane Center reports. The Category 2 hurricane will near North Carolina's southern coast by Saturday night, the center says.

Matthew has sustained winds of 105 mph and is 45 miles south of Hilton Head, South Carolina. It is moving north about 12 mph.

FRIDAY

11 p.m.:

Hurricane Matthew remains a Category 2 storm as it continues to hug the coast.

The center of the hurricane has 105 mph winds.

Farther north in Myrtle Beach, winds are at 40 mph.

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9:30 p.m.

More than a hundred thousand residents are without electricity in coastal Georgia as gusty winds continue to strengthen and rain becomes heavier with Hurricane Matthew approaches the region.

Georgia Power spokesman John Kraft says he expects outages will climb even more in the storm-struck counties of Chatham, Glynn, Camden and McIntosh. He says utility company crewmembers are expected to head toward the storm-inflicted areas Saturday after the weather clears.

The National Hurricane Center warned that hurricane conditions could be arriving overnight and continuing into Saturday. The warning included threats of life-threatening flooding in coastal areas.

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8:40 p.m.

Authorities say an elderly couple appears to have died from carbon monoxide poisoning while running a generator after Hurricane Matthew, raising the U.S. death toll from the storm to 4.

A post on the St. Lucie County Fire District's Facebook page says rescuers responded to couple's home Friday morning after neighbors found them not breathing. They were taken to a nearby hospital, where county spokesman Erick Gill says they later died.

Officials say the couple had been running a generator inside their garage throughout the storm.

Officials didn't immediately naming the couple. Two women in Florida were also killed in separate accidents.

8 p.m.

A man who stayed on a Georgia island to ride out Hurricane Matthew says "trees are bending over" and it's "raining sideways" as the storm approaches the Georgia-Florida line.

Steve Todd said he and a friend ventured out in a truck after dark Friday to pick up a couple of buddies who had become frightened of rapidly worsening conditions on Tybee Island. He said they were all going back to his third-floor condominium to spend the night.

Local officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for Tybee on Wednesday, but some residents insisted on staying put. The hurricane's center was expected to pass early Saturday.

Todd said he doesn't regret his decision, "but I'm not going to lie. There's a little bit of nervous tension right now."

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6:45 p.m.

Officials in Florida are cutting off all access to beachside portions of Flagler County after Hurricane Matthew washed away a portion of State Road A1A.

A news release says emergency workers will begin entering the area to rescue those who did not leave.

"This is not a curfew. No one will be permitted to enter the barrier island," Flagler County public safety emergency manager Steve Garten said in the release. "This will be enforced by the Flagler County Sheriff's Office."

A curfew will begin at 7 p.m. Friday on the mainland portions of the county.

"We don't want anyone on the beachside who doesn't need to be there," Flagler County Administrator Craig Coffey said in the release. "We need to be able to get an assist those people who are in the most need."

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6 p.m.

Authorities are now saying two people have died in the U.S. because of Hurricane Matthew.

The Putnam County, Florida, Sheriff's Office reported Friday that a woman was killed and a man was injured near Crescent City when a tree fell on their camper during the storm.

A post on the sheriff's office Facebook page says the two adults were attempting to ride out the storm when high winds apparently caused the tree to fall. The man escaped with minor injuries, but the woman was killed.

Authorities didn't immediately name the victims.

Earlier Friday, Volusia County emergency management director Jim Judge reported the death of a woman after a tree fell on her house.

More than 300 people were killed in the Caribbean as a result of the hurricane, mostly in Haiti.

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5:30 p.m.

Thousands of people in South Carolina are seeking shelter at evacuation shelters across the state as Hurricane Matthew approaches.

The South Carolina Emergency Management Division reports that there are almost 70 shelters open across the state with more than 4,200 people being sheltered. Three of the shelters - two in the Lowcountry and one in the Upstate.

Officials say that there are 17 shelters on standby ready to open if the other shelters are become filled up.

Tropical storm force winds and rains have already moved into the state as the hurricane approaches from the southwest.

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5 p.m.

Hurricane Matthew has weakened slightly as it pounds Florida and crawls north along the Atlantic coast.

At 5 p.m. EDT Friday, the National Hurricane Center said Matthew had sustained winds of 110 mph (177 kph), making it a very powerful Category 2 storm.

At one point, Matthew reached the strongest Category 5 designation, but it has been slowly weakening as it has moved closer to Florida.

The storm left more than 300 people dead in the Caribbean and at least one person has died in Florida. More than 1 million homes and businesses are without power in the state.

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4:15 p.m.

Hurricane Matthew lashes Florida with 100 mph winds, leaving 3 people dead and over 1 million without power, ABC News reported.

State officials released updated totals on Friday that showed that the powerful Category 3 storm had knocked out electricity over a wide stretch of the state's eastern coast. Most of the customers in Flagler and Volusia County — the home to Daytona Beach — were without power. Other hard hit areas include Brevard and Indian River counties.

The storm was strong enough to also cause outages in Central Florida. More than 100,000 who live in the Orlando area are without electricity.

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4:10 p.m.

Several more communities on the South Carolina coast are imposing curfews as the winds and rains of Hurricane Matthew approach the state.

The worst of the storm is expected to move in overnight and Matthew is expected to be just off Charleston about daybreak Saturday as a Category 2 hurricane with 100 mph winds.

Charleston, North Charleston and Mount Pleasant are all imposing curfews from midnight Friday through 6 a.m. on Saturday. Officials say they don't want people driving or walking around while law officers and emergency workers have to deal with issues related to the storm.

In Beaufort County, a curfew will be in effect from dusk Friday through dawn on Saturday.

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4 p.m.

Gov. Pat McCrory is warning North Carolina residents about potentially "life-threatening" rain and standing water in more places because he says the forecast track for Hurricane Matthew has moved more toward the state.

McCrory said at a news briefing Friday that Wilmington and other coastal areas could see 15 inches of rain or more by Sunday afternoon. He says the state could see the worst flooding since what Hurricane Floyd caused in 1999.

The governor says he's also worried about northeastern North Carolina, where 5 to 10 inches of rain could fall after flooding last month caused by the remnants of Tropical Storm Julia.

McCrory says several counties now have opened emergency shelters, while many beaches have asked for voluntary evacuations. Emergency management and National Guard forces and equipment are in staging areas and Duke Energy line workers are gathering in Raleigh to prepare for electric outages in the Carolinas.

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3:20 p.m.

Gov. Pat McCrory’s request for a federal disaster declaration in anticipation of damages caused by Hurricane Matthew has been approved for 66 counties in central and eastern North Carolina by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

“I urged our federal partners to move quickly on this request for assistance, and they did,” said Governor McCrory. “This declaration makes federal resources available to help local and state government agencies respond to the potential disaster and gives quick access to stockpiles of disaster supplies like bottled water and meals that FEMA has already staged at Fort Bragg.”

The 66 counties included in the federal disaster declaration are: Alamance, Anson, Beaufort, Bertie, Bladen, Brunswick, Camden, Carteret, Caswell, Chatham, Chowan, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Currituck, Dare, Davidson, Davie, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Forsyth, Franklin, Gates, Granville, Greene, Guilford, Halifax, Harnett, Hertford, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Martin, Montgomery, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pasquotank, Pender, Perquimans, Person, Pitt, Randolph, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Sampson, Scotland, Stokes, Surry, Tyrrell, Vance, Wake, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wilson, and Yadkin.

This declaration enables FEMA to provide federal resources to aid in the flood recovery effort. This aid will help cover the expense of establishing mass shelter and feeding stations, as well as search and rescue missions and other emergency protective measures.

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2:40 p.m.

Charleston is imposing a curfew starting at midnight Friday and extending until 6 a.m. Saturday as the brunt of Hurricane Matthew moves along the South Carolina coast.

Police Chief Greg Mullen told a news conference that officials expect unusually high tides driven by the storm along with the torrential rains that Matthew is expected to bring. Mullen said no cars or pedestrians will be allowed on the streets during the overnight period.

Mayor John Tecklenburg reassured Charlestonians that after days of watching, Matthew will soon be past. He said Charleston has shown its resilience time and time again throughout its history and in the face of disaster and struggle the city is at its best.

As the mayor put it: "It's time for us to hunker down and ride out this storm."

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2:30 p.m. 

Severe Weather Center 9 meteorologists Steve Udelson and Vicki Graf said Hurricane Matthew is still a major Category 3 storm with winds of 115 mph.

The storm will come dangerously close to Charleston Saturday morning.

Udelson said the brunt of the rainfall in the Charlotte area will be early Saturday morning in the southeastern counties of the Channel 9 viewing area.

Flood watches are in effect for Mecklenburg and Cabarrus counties until 6 a.m. Sunday.

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2:05 p.m.

The approach of Hurricane Matthew is closing some of the major tourist attractions in the Carolinas.

The Carowinds them park on the South Carolina-North Carolina state line said it would not hold its SCarowinds nighttime Halloween event Friday night to ensure the safety of guests and staff. The theme park said any tickets purchased for Friday's event will be honored for any other Scarowinds event through October 23.

Park officials said they were monitoring the weather and make a decision later on whether to open the park for regular hours on Saturday.

In Columbia, Riverbanks Zoo and Garden said it would be closed Saturday because of the weather. The park planned to reopen on Sunday.

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1:20 p.m.

St. Augustine was among the hardest-hit areas of Northeast Florida as Hurricane Matthew arrived Friday.

Video from our sister station Action News Jax's reporter Russell Colburn showed water rising in downtown streets.

People were seen trapped at the Casablanca Inn on Ponce de Leon Bouelvard.

Twenty people, including children, we trapped inside the bed and breakfast.

Click play below to watch the video:

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12:30 p.m.

Wilmington-area officials are bracing for flash flooding and possible widespread power outages as projections for Hurricane Matthew have it creeping closer to the southeastern North Carolina coast.

New Hanover County Emergency Management Director Warren Lee said Friday that new forecasts have increased concerns about high winds beginning Saturday afternoon and rain totals approaching 1 foot. Downed trees and minor structural damage to buildings are possible.

Lee said at a media briefing that voluntary evacuations have been issued for local beaches and low-lying areas prone to flooding, but they could become mandatory if projections worsen. He strongly urged people to stay out of the ocean.

Lee says two emergency shelters would be open late Friday afternoon. County and Wilmington city offices were to close at 3 p.m.

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12:10 p.m.

A few people on Hilton Head Island took the opportunity late Friday morning to take one last look at the angry sea, as the rains and winds from Hurricane Matthew increased.

William Frank and Heather Wilson rode their moped a half-mile to Coligny Beach, using Facebook live to show the already unusually high surf to family back in Athens, Georgia, and to promise they would be on the last bus out to evacuate at noon.

Frank said they wanted to take a look at Mother Nature's power. He said you don't often get to see the ocean like this.

Every few minutes, another person or two would walk down the boardwalk to the sand. Most took selfies or videos, then hustled back to their cars before the rains picked up again.

Marcos Reyes brought his dog, who seemed skeptical about the rain, strong winds and surf. He too was evacuating, but reluctantly, to his parents' home about 25 miles inland.

Reyes said he would like to stay and watch, but he said his parents would kill him.

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12:15 p.m.

The NASCAR XFINITY series race set for Friday night at Concord Motor Speedway, the Drive for the Cure 300, has been canceled. It will be run Sunday at 11 a.m.

For now, Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the Bank of America 500, is still on for 7 p.m.

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11:40 a.m.

The National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane warning from Cocoa Beach, Florida, to Surf City, North Carolina.

In addition, a hurricane watch has been posted for north of Surf City to Cape Lookout. Also, a tropical storm warning is in effect from north of Surf City to Duck on the northern Outer Banks, as well as the Pamlico and Albemarle sounds.

Forecasters say tropical storm conditions are expected to first reach the tropical storm warning area in North Carolina on Saturday morning. The forecast also calls for a storm surge of from 2 to 4 feet from Cape Fear to Salvo, including portions of the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds.

Also, forecasters say there is a danger of life-threatening inundation during the next 36 hours along the Florida northeast coast, the Georgia coast, the South Carolina coast, and the North Carolina coast from Sebastian Inlet, Florida, to Cape Fear. There is also the possibility of life-threatening inundation during the next 48 hours from north of Cape Fear to Salvo.

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11:20 a.m.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley says "there is nothing safe about what is getting ready to happen" as Hurricane Matthew spins toward the state.

Haley said at a news conference late Friday morning that the situation seems to have gotten worse. There are now hurricane warnings for the entire South Carolina coast and the latest projections from the National Hurricane Center show the center of the storm very close to the coast near Charleston early Saturday morning. Earlier projections had the hurricane farther offshore.

Haley warns the state is now looking at major winds, major storm surges, flooding that could compare to the historic floods of last October. Power outages are also expected.

Haley said an estimated 310,000 people have now fled from coastal areas and said "this is the last time you will hear my voice when I am asking you to evacuate." She said everybody along the coast needs to consider getting inland.

Below are highlights from her update:

• Storm surge is expected to be up to 8 feet along the coast. Even if you don't have a beachfront home, you could be impacted.
• Heavy winds are a concern and could lead to long term power outages.
• As the storm gets closer, officials are looking at major storm surges and heavy winds. "There is nothing safe."
• There are 712 troopers on the road, thousands of guardsmen on the ground that are about to be deployed to search and rescue.
• Roughly 310,000 people have been evacuated, which is up from 175,000 Thursday.
• Barrier islands are the biggest concern and officials are urging people to move. This is the time you can evacuate. "Daufuskie Island will be under water," Haley warns.
• Gusts near Rock Hill could range from 30-35 mph through Saturday.
• As of 9 a.m., 104 medical facilities have been evacuated.
• Expedia and AirBnB have opened up more space in Columbia for shelter.
• If you're in the Midlands, hunker down, you will see a lot of rain.

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11:05 a.m.

Still minimal changes as of 11 a.m. We have been ​reporting 100-115 mph wind gusts along the Florida coastline this morning, with the center of Hurricane Matthew just within 30 miles of Daytona Beach.

Nicole has weakened to a Tropical Storm.

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11 a.m.

President Barack Obama is warning that Matthew is "still a really dangerous hurricane."

Meeting in the Oval Office on Friday with FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, Obama said he was concerned about storm surge and that as the hurricane moves north, areas such as Jacksonville, Florida, and Georgia might be less prepared.

Obama told those living in affected areas that, "If they tell you to evacuate, you need to get out of there and move to higher ground."

He noted that "because storm surge can move very quickly ... people can think that they're out of the woods and then suddenly get hit, and not be in a positon in which they and their families are safe."

The president pleaded with people to listen to the warnings of state emergency personnel "because we can always replace property, but we cannot replace lives."

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10:50 a.m.

Hurricane Matthew continues to cause problems for travelers, with 4,500 flights canceled so far between Wednesday and Saturday, according to tracking service FlightAware.

All flights to and from Orlando have been canceled Friday and half scrapped Saturday. FlightAware expects that number to rise. Orlando's world-famous theme parks — Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and SeaWorld — all closed due to the storm.

As the storm moves north, so do cancellations, with Atlanta, Charleston and Savannah taking the largest hits.

Airports in Southern Florida are reopening, however, with flights expected to resume at midday. Airlines moved planes and crews out of the storm's path and must now fly them back into the region.

American Airlines saw its first arrival at its Miami hub at 9:05 a.m. with a flight from Sao Paulo.

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10:45 a.m.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott is cautioning Floridians that Hurricane Matthew could still do substantial damage before it passes by the northeast end of the state.

Scott on Friday warned that while the main eye of the storm has remained offshore as it brushes the eastern coast, it could still bring tremendous damage and flooding, especially to low-lying areas along the St. Johns River, including downtown Jacksonville.

Click PLAY to watch aerial footage along the West Palm Beach coast:

Scott said the hurricane "still has time to do a direct hit" and he remarked that "the worst part of this is yet to come."

Hurricane Matthew approached the state overnight, bringing damaging winds and lots of rain. State officials said that as of 9 a.m. there were nearly 600,000 people without power. Some of the hardest hit counties were Brevard, Indian River and Volusia, where more than half of the customers in those counties were without power.

State officials during an internal emergency management briefing said they anticipated that more than 1 million Floridians could eventually be without power.

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10:35 a.m.

Historic downtown Charleston was eerily quiet Friday morning, much as it was almost 30 years ago before Category 4 Hurricane Hugo and its 135 mph winds smashed into the city.

Streets throughout the business district were deserted and many stores and shops had plywood boards protecting their windows while others had white sand bags stacked up in front of their doors.

In residential areas in the historic district there was so little traffic that people were walking their dogs down the middle of streets - something that would be impossible on sunny autumn days when the city is full of tourists and horse-drawn carriages ply the streets.

On the Battery at the end of the Charleston peninsula most homes had their permanent storm shutters closed. About two dozen or so people were out on the Battery seawall taking pictures with their cellphones or walking their dogs in nearby White Point Gardens.

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10:30 a.m.

The U.S. Coast Guard has closed the Port of Charleston as Hurricane Matthew approaches South Carolina. The agency says no vessels may leave Charleston or enter the port.

The Coast Guard also announced that its smaller boats have been removed from the water and larger ones have moved to safe harbor.

The Coast Guard said it will be suspending search and rescue missions during the height of the storm and its helicopters will not be flying.

Tropical storm force winds are expected to be felt along the South Carolina coast later Friday.

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10:25 a.m.

582,000 people are without power in Florida, officials now estimate.

Meanwhile, South Carolina evacuees seeking refuge from Hurricane Matthew should call 1-866-246-0133 to be directed to the nearest open emergency shelter anywhere in the state. The state’s public information phone system is operational 24 hours a day until South Carolina is no longer in danger.

The S.C. Emergency Management Division website lists emergency shelter status statewide and is updated in real-time by the S.C. Department of Social Services.

Coastal evacuees currently traveling or without internet access are urged to call the PIPS line if they need assistance.

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10:15 a.m.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory says he's about worried about current projections of Hurricane Matthew that show the storm could lead to heavier rains than previously estimated at or near the coast and power outages from high winds.

McCrory said Friday morning rainfall totals could exceed a foot in parts of southeastern North Carolina, with the most activity starting Friday night through Sunday morning. He said in a storm media briefing that wind gusts could push above 65 mph, and that citizens should be prepared to remain without electricity for some time because utilities may have to focus first on other affected regions.

He says the North Carolina National Guard and emergency equipment are being assembled, including high-water vehicles and swift-water rescue teams. The state is also providing a helicopter rescue team and other resources to South Carolina. McCrory says a mobile hospital unit is ready to go to Florida when it's safe to do so.

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10:10 a.m.

Georgia transportation officials are closing a bridge that is one of the main routes between the mainland and the barrier islands off Brunswick in anticipation of high winds from Hurricane Matthew.

The Georgia Department of Transportation said in a news release that the Sidney Lanier Bridge would close at 10 a.m. Friday and would remain closed at least until strong winds subside.

The state's tallest cable-stayed suspension bridge, the Sidney Lanier Bridge is a primary route to the Golden Isles — including Jekyll Island, Sea Island, St. Simons Island and Little St. Simons Island — from Interstate 95.

Transportation officials say high winds, particularly at the bridge's elevation, would likely make it difficult for drivers to control their vehicles, so the bridge is being closed for the safety of the public.

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10:05 a.m.

The SC Highway Patrol has begun clearing the reversed, eastbound lanes on I-26. No traffic will be allowed on the eastbound lanes until the clearing is complete from Charleston to Columbia.

The westbound lanes of I-26 remain open in that direction for travel to Columbia. Evacuation from the Charleston area is available and encouraged.

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10 a.m.

North Carolina's law against price gouging is now in effect for all 100 counties for all goods and services, Attorney General Roy Cooper said Friday morning.
 
"Most businesses treat their customers fairly, in good times and bad, but some may try to take unfair advantage of a crisis," Cooper said. "A disaster is not the time to hike prices."
 
The general ban on price gouging triggered by Hurricane Matthew was extended late Thursday to cover the entire state. The law prohibits unreasonable prices, including for hotel and motel rooms, restaurants, and gasoline.
 
The law against price gouging protects not only North Carolina consumers but also people who may be evacuating to North Carolina from Florida, Georgia and South Carolina to avoid the hurricane.

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9:35 a.m.

Early Friday, NASA reported what appeared to be mostly minor damage at Kennedy Space Center.

An office building suffered some roof damage, and parked cars had damage as well.

NASA spokesman George Diller, part of the 116-person ride out crew, said there have been some spotty power outages on site, and loss of air conditioning and water pressure in places.

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9:15 a.m.

Soldiers are Fort Bragg are prepared to deploy on short notice if they are called to assist with those who suffer from damage or other problems because of Hurricane Matthew.

Several units were weighing trucks, checking inventory and practicing loading aircraft on Wednesday.

The training came as Hurricane Matthew was moving toward the United States.

The cargo transport company and the movement control team would go ahead of soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, which is part of the Global Response Force that is ready to respond around the world on short notice.

Battalion commander Lt. Col. Michael Ludwick says his unit is just awaiting orders if it is needed.

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9:10 a.m.

A sheriff's spokesman says hundreds of callers are dialing 911 as Hurricane Matthew pounds central Florida's coastline.

Volusia County Sheriff's spokesman Gary Davidson says at least four callers reported trees falling onto their homes in the Daytona Beach area after 7:30 a.m. Friday.

In one case, Davidson says a neighbor told dispatchers that the family got out safely after a tree collapsed on a home in Daytona Beach.

Another caller reported ceiling damage after a tree fell onto a house in nearby Ormond Beach.

No injuries were reported in any of these cases.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said that 22,000 people were staying in shelters.

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9:05 a.m.

Rains from the outer bands of Hurricane Matthew are spinning onto the South Carolina coast.

The National Weather Service says tropical storm force winds of more than 40 mph will begin raking the coast Friday afternoon - extending farther into inland areas Friday evening.

Although Matthew is projected to stay offshore, sustained hurricane gusts of 80 mph are expected on the immediate coast. Forecasters say winds from the storm will likely damage trees and weaker structures and bring widespread power outages.

The forecast calls for between 8 and 14 inches of rain in places along the coast with as much as 4 inches in locations father inland. Dangerous waves and rip currents are expected along the coast storm surges of up to 11 feet.

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9 a.m.

Rains from the outer bands of Hurricane Matthew are already spinning onto the South Carolina coast. And the National Weather Service says that tropical storm force winds of more than 40 mph will begin raking the coast on Friday afternoon - extending farther into inland areas Friday evening.

Although Matthew is projected to stay offshore, sustained hurricane gusts of 80 mph are expected on the immediate coast. Forecasters say winds from the storm likely will damage trees and weaker structures and bring widespread power outages.

The forecast calls for between 8 and 14 inches of rain in places along the coast with as much as 4 inches in locations father inland. Dangerous waves and rip currents are expected along the coast during the storm with storm surge of 4 to 8 feet.

Meanwhile Joint Base Charleston has been closed until further notice the hurricane approaches. The base consists of Charleston Air Force Base, the Charleston Naval Weapons station and two other facilities near Charleston.

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8:55 a.m.

Some residents who refused to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Matthew are asking themselves: Why did I stay?

Many living on barrier islands and in low-lying areas found themselves cut off by Friday morning, with the worst of the hurricane still bearing down on them, said Brevard County Emergency Operations spokesman David Waters.

"A family called in that the roof just flew off their home on Merritt Island," Waters said.

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for 90,000 people living on barrier islands and in mobile homes and low-lying areas.

Waters says he has talked to other families who have said things like, "We're scared. We wish we hadn't stayed."

He said those people will have to stay put for now and do the best they can until conditions improve and paramedics and firefighters can be dispatched to help them.

Along with about 100,000 power outages, the water supply to the barrier islands in the Cape Canaveral area was cut off to avoid compounding the storm flooding if the system was damaged.

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8:50 a.m.

Florida officials are reporting the state’s first storm-related death; officials could not get to the person after suspending operations because of the storm.

More than 500,000 are without power across the sunshine state.

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8:35 a.m.

Authorities on Hilton Head Island are warning residents that firefighters and rescue squad members will leave the island before the winds from Hurricane Matthew get too strong.

Hilton Head Fire and Rescue spokeswoman Joheida Fister said all emergency workers plan to leave by noon Friday, before the island starts to experience tropical storm force winds.

Rains from the storm started Friday morning.

Some people among the 40,000 permanent residents on the island said Thursday they still planned to ride out the storm.

Authorities say anyone who stays on the island will be on their own during the height of the storm overnight Friday into Saturday morning.

Beaufort County sheriff's deputies will monitor the weather and evacuate parts if not all of the county if conditions get too dangerous.

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8:20 a.m.

The time has been set for the Georgia-South Carolina football game in Columbia on Sunday that was rescheduled because of the threat of Hurricane Matthew.

South Carolina officials announced late Thursday that the game will be played at 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

The game had been scheduled Saturday night in Columbia but is being delayed because of Hurricane Matthew.

School officials say they consulted with Georgia and the Southeastern Conference before making the decision.

Officials say they are consulting with the governor's office and state and local law enforcement. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley said earlier this week that state troopers would not be available to help with traffic for the game. But Richland County sheriff's deputies and Columbia police are expected to help.

The school says it will be able to handle traffic, security and other game day operations.

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8:15 a.m.

Anson County schools will dismiss early Friday: Elementary schools will dismiss at noon and middle and high schools will dismiss at 1:30 p.m.

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8: a.m.

Four islands in Beaufort County will lose their water service because officials worry the storm surge from Hurricane Matthew could damage the system.

The Beaufort Jasper Water Authority said it will shut off the water to Hunting Island, Fripp Island, Coosaw Island and Harbor Island at 3 p.m. Friday. The islands are east of Beaufort.

The authority says the water will remain off until the storm passes.

All of Beaufort County is under an evacuation order. Forecasters say the storm surge could cover much of the county, with up to 9 feet of water in the hardest hit areas at the peak of the storm Saturday morning.

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7:45 a.m.

As Hurricane Matthew approaches South Carolina, state transportation officials say they are ending the lane reversals on Interstate 26 between Charleston and Columbia.

The eastbound lanes were reversed Wednesday allowing all traffic on the interstate to drive away from the coast.

The Department of Transportation says that the reversal will end Friday morning as work begins removing barricades on exits. They will start in Charleston and work their way west until the eastbound lanes are again open.

Officials say they are ending the reversal because the law enforcement officials and other workers manning the barricades are being pulled back to safe locations during the storm.

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7:25 a.m.

Officials say people who refused to evacuate from central Florida's Atlantic coast are calling for help now as Hurricane Matthew's western eyewall brushes past Cape Canaveral.

Brevard County Emergency Operations spokesman David Waters said early Friday that more than 100,000 people in the area had lost power.

Mandatory evacuation orders had been issued for 90,000 people living on barrier islands and in mobile homes and low-lying areas. Waters says some residents who refused to leave now find themselves cut off as they face the worst of the hurricane.

He says a family called in that the roof "just flew off their home on Merritt Island."

Waters says people will just have to stay put for now and do the best they can until conditions improve and paramedics and firefighters can be dispatched to help them. He spoke by phone from the county's emergency operations center, which was running a backup generator because it had lost electricity.

Along with the power outages, the water supply to the barrier islands was cut off to avoid compounding the storm flooding if the system got damaged.

Waters says he has talked to other families who have said things like, "We're scared. We wish we hadn't stayed."

More than 360,000 in Florida are without power Friday morning.

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7:10 a.m.

South Carolina officials are making another plea for residents to flee the coast as Hurricane Matthew approaches.

Derrec Becker with the state emergency preparedness office said Friday morning people need to evacuate immediately. Becker said dangerous conditions are expected along the East Coast.

Officials are especially worried about the storm surge of water that will flow in from the ocean, driven by strong waves. The storm surge is expected to reach as much as 11 feet anywhere south of Georgetown. A surge of up to 6 feet is possible from Little River south to Georgetown.

A hurricane warning is in effect south of Georgetown. A tropical storm warning is in effect north of Georgetown.

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7 a.m.

Channel 9 checked flights at Charlotte Douglas International Airport early Friday morning and found several flights to and from Georgia and Florida are canceled.

Orlando's airport is closed Friday but many Florida airports hope to get flights back on track later Friday morning.

Channel 9 also learned that a group of nearly 30 Charlotte nurses found a flight home after their conference in Florida ended early.

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6:10 a.m.

The western edge of Hurricane Matthew's eyewall is brushing Florida's coast at Cape Canaveral.

The National Hurricane Center said at 6 a.m. EDT Friday that during the last hour, a wind gust of 100 mph occurred in Cape Canaveral.

The Category 3 storm is centered about 25 miles east of Cape Canaveral and is moving north-northwest at 14 mph.

More than 300,000 in Florida are without power Friday morning.

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5:45 a.m.

In Geneva, the international Red Cross announced an emergency appeal for $6.9 million Friday to provide medical aid, shelter, water, and sanitation assistance to 50,000 people in southwestern Haiti, which was hit hard by Hurricane Matthew.

UNICEF says it needs $5 million to meet children's immediate needs in Haiti.

The World Food Program said it has enough food on the ground for 300,000 people for a month, and was deploying its best logisticians to help distribute it.

Matthew left more than 280 dead in its wake across the Caribbean and is now battering Florida's east coast with high winds and rain.

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5:05 a.m.

Hurricane Matthew is just offshore of Florida's east coast Friday morning.

But the National Hurricane Center says the Category 3 storm's western eyewall is approaching Cape Canaveral with hurricane-force winds.

As of 5 a.m. EDT Friday, Matthew is centered about 40 miles east-southeast of Cape Canaveral and is moving north-northwest near 13 mph.

More than 300,000 in Florida are without power.

Two million people were warned to flee inland as the most powerful storm to threaten the Atlantic coast in more than a decade charged toward Florida. Matthew left more than 280 dead in its wake across the Caribbean.

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Associated Press