Gov. Rick Scott has been traveling the state giving updates on Hurricane Matthew and the storm’s potential impact on Florida.
He was in Marathon in the morning and Daytona Beach and Nassau County in the afternoon.
Scott urged residents along the state's Atlantic Coast to prepare for the possibility of a direct hit, and the Red Cross put out a call for volunteers in South Carolina.
“Hurricane Matthew is a deadly storm and has already killed multiple people. Our number one priority is to protect life and we will continue to communicate with all 67 Florida counties to ensure critical needs are met. At this time, we cannot focus on the exact track of this storm. We know that it will be very close to our state and any small deviation from its track could mean a catastrophic change along Florida’s east coast. That is why everyone in our state must prepare today for a direct hit," Gov. Scott said.
As of 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), the storm was centered about 35 miles north-northeast (60 kilometers) of Tiburon, Haiti, and 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of the eastern tip of Cuba. It was moving north near 10 mph (17 kph).
On Monday, Scott declared a state of emergency for every Florida county.
Watch the news conference in the video player below:
Keep generators, other alt. power/heat sources outside at least 20 feet away from windows and doors - protect from moisture #FLPrepares
— Florida SERT (@FLSERT) October 4, 2016
Turn your refrigerator or freezer to the coldest setting in anticipation of losing power - open only when necessary #FLPrepares
— Florida SERT (@FLSERT) October 4, 2016
Right now, we expect to see impacts along FL's east coast, from the Upper Keys to Nassau County. We are still very focused on I-95 corridor.
— Rick Scott (@FLGovScott) October 4, 2016
