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| Hurricane Matthew, ‘Extremely Dangerous,’ Threatens Jacksonville | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Hurricane Matthew churned north along the coast of Florida on Friday, and state officials and forecasters shifted their focus to the danger of serious damage in Jacksonville later in the day. The hurricane stayed just far enough offshore to spare Central Florida a direct hit, and it weakened slightly overnight, but it was still a powerful Category 3 storm with winds of about 120 miles per hour. The storm was blamed for the deaths of more than 280 people in Haiti. | |
| Jacksonville is by far the largest population center in the hurricane’s path, with 868,000 people living in the city and almost 1.6 million in the metropolitan area. Parts of the city and several neighboring towns lie right on a coastline with no barrier islands, potentially exposed to the full force of the storm. | |
| The heart of the city sits about 15 miles inland, protected from the high surf, but much of Jacksonville, which straddles the St. John River estuary, is at sea level or just a few feet higher. A storm surge predicted to reach seven to 11 feet that pushed upriver could inundate portions of the downtown, several neighborhoods, and Naval Station Mayport and Naval Air Station Jacksonville. | |
| Dispatches from our reporters on the ground; a live storm tracker map; and answers to reader questions will be updated below. | Dispatches from our reporters on the ground; a live storm tracker map; and answers to reader questions will be updated below. |
| ■ At noon, the hurricane’s center was less than 30 miles east-northeast of Daytona Beach, Fla., and about 90 miles southeast of Jacksonville, and the storm was moving north-northwest at about 14 m.p.h. Gusts of more than 100 m.p.h. were reported near Cape Canaveral as the eye wall approached that area. | |
| ■ About 600,000 residences and businesses in Florida have lost power, Gov. Rick Scott said. In Volusia, Brevard and Martin counties, about half the customers had no electricity. | |
| ■ The area facing the brunt of the storm has gradually shifted north, with Jacksonville already feeling heavy rains and winds. Matthew is expected to continue to parallel the coast into Georgia and the Carolinas, putting Savannah, Charleston and Wilmington, N.C., at risk, before turning out to sea. Forecasters warned that a shift westward of just a few miles in the storm’s track would greatly increase damage onshore. | |
| ■ The National Weather Service extended its hurricane warning northward into North Carolina, as far as Surf City. The Weather Service downgraded the hurricane warning for Florida’s south-central coast to a tropical storm warning, and lifted the tropical storm warning for the state’s southern coast, including Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, | |
| ■ President Obama, speaking at the White House, said: “Pay attention to what your local officials are telling you. If they tell you to evacuate, you need to get out of there and move to higher ground.” The president has declared a state of emergency in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, allowing federal agencies to coordinate relief efforts. | |
| ■ Officials urged residents who have not evacuated to remain in shelters and not be deceived by the bands of rain that come and go. “The worst is yet to come,” the mayor of Daytona Beach, Derrick Henry, said on CNN Friday morning, urging residents to “exercise prudence.” Richard Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center, said, “Just because the center is off shore doesn’t mean you can’t be the center of the action.” | |
| ■ At least one death in Florida has been connected to the hurricane. At 1:20 a.m. Friday, the St. Lucie County fire service received a call to aid a woman in her late 50s who had suffered a heart attack, but winds approaching hurricane force prevented emergency vehicles from responding. | |
| ■ To cover the storm and its aftermath, The New York Times has deployed journalists in Miami; Orlando, Fla.; Port St. Lucie, Fla.; Titusville, Fla.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Atlanta; and Charleston, S.C. Follow our correspondents on Twitter. | ■ To cover the storm and its aftermath, The New York Times has deployed journalists in Miami; Orlando, Fla.; Port St. Lucie, Fla.; Titusville, Fla.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Atlanta; and Charleston, S.C. Follow our correspondents on Twitter. |
| The Kennedy Space Center, and the space program that depends on it, may have dodged a bullet. | |
| As Hurricane Matthew moved north, it passed Cape Canaveral, according to NASA blog, with recorded sustained winds of 90 miles per hour and gusts up to 107 miles per hour —lower than initially feared but still enough to cause damage. | |
| A 10:07 posting said there was “limited roof damage” and debris around the facility, with water and electric power disrupted. Storm surge, which might have been an enormous problem for the site, “has been observed to be relatively minimal.” | |
| A team of more than 100 people checking out the damage will not be able to get a more thorough look until winds die down a bit more; a damage assessment and recovery team will be brought in for a formal examination on Saturday. | |
| William Harwood, who covers the space program for CBS from the area, spent the night at the Brevard County Emergency Operations Center and reported rainfall totals at 8 to 12 inches at the space center, with a storm surge of one to five inches. It was “much lower than expected,” he wrote in a tweet. | |
| JOHN SCHWARTZ | |
| Newspapers across Florida captured the approach of the storm. You can view a selection of them here. | Newspapers across Florida captured the approach of the storm. You can view a selection of them here. |
| Lizette Alvarez, a Times reporter, recalled her night in Florida City, Fla., in 1992 when Hurricane Andrew destroyed most of the motel she was staying in. Read more» | |
| The Haitian government says more than 280 people had died during the hurricane, drastically revising earlier estimates as more of the affected areas are reached by aid workers, according to local reports. | The Haitian government says more than 280 people had died during the hurricane, drastically revising earlier estimates as more of the affected areas are reached by aid workers, according to local reports. |
| Now that transportation and at least some communication to those areas have been restored, a fuller picture of the damage is emerging, officials said at a news conference held by the Ministry of Interior. The deaths come amid a broad tableau of devastation: houses pummeled into timber, crops destroyed and large parts of towns and villages under several feet of water. — AZAM AHMED in Miami | Now that transportation and at least some communication to those areas have been restored, a fuller picture of the damage is emerging, officials said at a news conference held by the Ministry of Interior. The deaths come amid a broad tableau of devastation: houses pummeled into timber, crops destroyed and large parts of towns and villages under several feet of water. — AZAM AHMED in Miami |
| If they tell you to get out — get out. Water rises swiftly and is more powerful than most people could imagine. And put your valuables in the fridge. What one New York Times editor learned four years ago during Hurricane Sandy. Read more» | If they tell you to get out — get out. Water rises swiftly and is more powerful than most people could imagine. And put your valuables in the fridge. What one New York Times editor learned four years ago during Hurricane Sandy. Read more» |
| Tiffanie Daudelin Pretto was desperate to get into South Carolina, where she lives, and then to get out. | Tiffanie Daudelin Pretto was desperate to get into South Carolina, where she lives, and then to get out. |
| So it was with a mixture of relief and trepidation that Ms. Daudelin Pretto, a registered nurse, on Thursday night boarded a mostly empty plane to Charleston from Washington. She had been in the area for two weeks of professional training that she was not allowed to leave early, even as South Carolina began mandatory evacuations along its coastline this week. | So it was with a mixture of relief and trepidation that Ms. Daudelin Pretto, a registered nurse, on Thursday night boarded a mostly empty plane to Charleston from Washington. She had been in the area for two weeks of professional training that she was not allowed to leave early, even as South Carolina began mandatory evacuations along its coastline this week. |
| Stuck in the Washington area, Ms. Daudelin Pretto had no choice but to direct her children, who are 16 and 19, and her in-laws from a distance on Wednesday as they evacuated from their home in Summerville, outside Charleston. | Stuck in the Washington area, Ms. Daudelin Pretto had no choice but to direct her children, who are 16 and 19, and her in-laws from a distance on Wednesday as they evacuated from their home in Summerville, outside Charleston. |
| “I had them take themselves and the pets and meet up with Grandma and Grandpa, and they all caravanned to Atlanta,” Ms. Daudelin Pretto said. “I was such a nervous wreck all day. It’s a mother’s worst nightmare.” | “I had them take themselves and the pets and meet up with Grandma and Grandpa, and they all caravanned to Atlanta,” Ms. Daudelin Pretto said. “I was such a nervous wreck all day. It’s a mother’s worst nightmare.” |
| As Ms. Daudelin Pretto spoke on the plane, her in-laws were staying with family in Atlanta and her children and the family’s three cats were safely ensconced in a hotel room there. She pulled out the selfie they had sent to prove it. | As Ms. Daudelin Pretto spoke on the plane, her in-laws were staying with family in Atlanta and her children and the family’s three cats were safely ensconced in a hotel room there. She pulled out the selfie they had sent to prove it. |
| She planned to meet her husband at the airport and drive straight to Atlanta without even stopping at home, because she was concerned that closed roads would make it difficult to get there. | She planned to meet her husband at the airport and drive straight to Atlanta without even stopping at home, because she was concerned that closed roads would make it difficult to get there. |
| “My pets are safe. My children are safe. If the house gets destroyed, so be it — but I’d rather it not, since we just moved in a year ago,” Ms. Daudelin Pretto said. She added, “I really don’t expect much to be left of my home when I get back.” — JESS BIDGOOD in Charleston, S.C. | “My pets are safe. My children are safe. If the house gets destroyed, so be it — but I’d rather it not, since we just moved in a year ago,” Ms. Daudelin Pretto said. She added, “I really don’t expect much to be left of my home when I get back.” — JESS BIDGOOD in Charleston, S.C. |
| People who live near the coast or in mobile homes or who just did not want to test their luck at home lugged suitcases and cases of water, sometimes clutching their favorite pillows as their minds drifted to what they left behind. | People who live near the coast or in mobile homes or who just did not want to test their luck at home lugged suitcases and cases of water, sometimes clutching their favorite pillows as their minds drifted to what they left behind. |
| Lois Paul, 78, was one of 130 people at an elementary school in Brevard County, Fla., that was being used as a shelter on Thursday. | Lois Paul, 78, was one of 130 people at an elementary school in Brevard County, Fla., that was being used as a shelter on Thursday. |
| “My house is blue; I call it ‘my blue heaven,’” Mrs. Paul said. “This one can blow your house away.” | “My house is blue; I call it ‘my blue heaven,’” Mrs. Paul said. “This one can blow your house away.” |
| Mrs. Paul brought patio cushions to sleep on, sheets, pillows, an extra set of clothes and a windbreaker. She has done this three times before, during Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne in 2004. | Mrs. Paul brought patio cushions to sleep on, sheets, pillows, an extra set of clothes and a windbreaker. She has done this three times before, during Hurricanes Charley, Frances and Jeanne in 2004. |
| “I’m afraid for my home,” she said. “The worst part is not knowing what’s going on there while you’re away. You just don’t know what you’re going to find when you get home.” — FRANCES ROBLES in Titusville, Fla. | “I’m afraid for my home,” she said. “The worst part is not knowing what’s going on there while you’re away. You just don’t know what you’re going to find when you get home.” — FRANCES ROBLES in Titusville, Fla. |
| The effect of the storm is being felt on the presidential campaign, too. A joint appearance by Hillary Clinton and President Obama planned for Wednesday in Miami Gardens, Fla., was postponed. The Trump campaign was also affected: The Miami Herald reported that Ivanka Trump had scrapped a fund-raiser planned for Wednesday night at the Trump National Doral golf resort. | The effect of the storm is being felt on the presidential campaign, too. A joint appearance by Hillary Clinton and President Obama planned for Wednesday in Miami Gardens, Fla., was postponed. The Trump campaign was also affected: The Miami Herald reported that Ivanka Trump had scrapped a fund-raiser planned for Wednesday night at the Trump National Doral golf resort. |
| The hurricane could steal attention away from the campaign if it causes extensive damage. The Clinton campaign was preparing for that possibility, investing in advertising on the Weather Channel in markets across Florida, according to Politico. — ALAN RAPPEPORT in Washington | The hurricane could steal attention away from the campaign if it causes extensive damage. The Clinton campaign was preparing for that possibility, investing in advertising on the Weather Channel in markets across Florida, according to Politico. — ALAN RAPPEPORT in Washington |
| John Schwartz, a New York Times reporter who covers climate change and the environment, is answering reader questions about the storm. He rode out his first hurricane, Carla, in his hometown, Galveston, Tex., at age 4. He has covered the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as well as other storms for The Times. | John Schwartz, a New York Times reporter who covers climate change and the environment, is answering reader questions about the storm. He rode out his first hurricane, Carla, in his hometown, Galveston, Tex., at age 4. He has covered the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as well as other storms for The Times. |
| Ask your hurricane questions here. | Ask your hurricane questions here. |
| What is the relationship between Hurricane Matthew and climate change? How important is it for the news media to depict and discuss this? — Cynthia Young | What is the relationship between Hurricane Matthew and climate change? How important is it for the news media to depict and discuss this? — Cynthia Young |
| Cynthia, this is one of the great questions of our age — not just establishing the role of climate change on extreme weather events, but also in stating clearly what we know and do not know. Short answer: It is difficult to attribute a particular storm to climate change, especially in the middle of the action. | Cynthia, this is one of the great questions of our age — not just establishing the role of climate change on extreme weather events, but also in stating clearly what we know and do not know. Short answer: It is difficult to attribute a particular storm to climate change, especially in the middle of the action. |
| But climate scientists are working at quick attribution, and that science is developing. After interviewing Gabriel A. Vecchi, a climate researcher, I put it this way in an article a few weeks ago: | But climate scientists are working at quick attribution, and that science is developing. After interviewing Gabriel A. Vecchi, a climate researcher, I put it this way in an article a few weeks ago: |
| Kerry A. Emanuel, a climate scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said the evidence suggested climate change would cause the strongest storms to grow even stronger, and to be more frequent. Unresolved questions surround the effect of warming on the weaker storms, but even those will dump more rain, leading over time to increased damage from flooding. | Kerry A. Emanuel, a climate scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said the evidence suggested climate change would cause the strongest storms to grow even stronger, and to be more frequent. Unresolved questions surround the effect of warming on the weaker storms, but even those will dump more rain, leading over time to increased damage from flooding. |
| Read more» | Read more» |
| Two veteran journalists discuss the challenges inherent in covering hurricanes. Read more» | Two veteran journalists discuss the challenges inherent in covering hurricanes. Read more» |