Hurricane Matthew Expected to Bring Life-Threatening Conditions to the Caribbean
A massive category 4 hurricane has Haiti, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and surrounding areas bracing for impact as it inches closer toward them. As of 2:00 PM on October 3rd, Hurricane Matthew was moving northward at about 6 mph, with forecasters expecting the storm to continue in that general direction through Wednesday and at an increased pace Monday night.
Hurricane warnings have already been issued for Jamaica, Haiti, the southeastern Bahamas, and much of Cuba, with watches in effect for other nearby islands. Early warnings state that life-threatening rain, wind, and storm surges are likely to hit Haiti.
Matthew has held maximum sustained winds near 140 mph with even stronger gusts. Hurricane-force winds are presently extending outward from the storm's center up to 35 mph, and tropical storm-force winds are extending up to 185 mph.
It is still much too early to know whether Matthew will have any significant impact on the US, let alone Long Island, as it progresses northward, but some current models suggest it has the potential for a direct hit on Florida or the Carolinas.
Those living on the East Coast are advised to monitor the storm's approach, and take appropriate precautions in the event that their region could be hit by the hurricane.
For the most up to date weather information head over to the LongIsland.com Weather Center, where you can find the latest weather forecasts, advisories and more.
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[Source: NWS.]