PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti—The Latest on Hurricane Matthew and Tropical Storm Nicole (all times local):
10:25 a.m.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane watch for South Florida.
The center issued the watch from Deerfield Beach to the Volusia/Brevard county line.
A hurricane watch means that hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area.
Subtle change in 11am @NHC_Atlantic advisory: #Hurricane wind field has grown. Up to 60 mi. north of center of #Matthew now. pic.twitter.com/4P2YvygjWk
— Jonathan Erdman (@wxjerdman) October 4, 2016
What you need to know about Hurricane Matthew, predicted to be one of the worst storms in recorded history: https://t.co/oTRMrkhQKO pic.twitter.com/CUwCjJmqUQ
— Forbes (@Forbes) October 4, 2016
A tropical storm watch also is in effect from the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys northward to south of Deerfield Beach, including Lake Okeechobee.
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10:10 a.m.
Officials in the Dominican Republic are reporting that at least four people died when heavy rains linked toHurricane Matthew damaged their homes.
Emergency Operations Center coordinator Juan Manuel Mendez told a news conference Tuesday that three children were killed when the walls of their homes collapsed in a poor neighborhood in Santo Domingo. An elderly person died in a neighboring province.
That would bring the total death toll from the storm to at least seven.
Rescue agencies in the country say the downpours have destroyed at least two homes and damaged 190 others. Close to 18,000 people living in vulnerable areas have been evacuated and taken to the homes of relatives or to shelters.
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10 a.m.
Tropical Storm Nicole has formed in the Atlantic.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami says the storm currently poses no threat to land. Nicole is located about 525 miles (840kmh) northwest of San Juan Puerto Rico. It has maximum sustained winds near 50 mph (85kph) with higher gusts.
Little change in strength is expected for the next day or so, followed by gradual weakening.
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10:45 a.m.
With Hurricane Matthew expected to impact the South Carolina coast by the weekend, the American Red Cross is issuing a call for volunteers.
Louise Welch Williams, the CEO of the Palmetto, South Carolina Region of the agency based in North Charleston, said Tuesday the Red Cross needs volunteers in the Charleston, Bluffton and Georgetown areas.
The agency says it especially needs volunteers to assist with sheltering and feeding those who may be affected by the hurricane. The agency said volunteers will likely be needed to help residents across the state of South Carolina.
Projections from the National Hurricane Center show that the storm is expected to be off the South Carolina coast early Saturday with maximum winds of about 100 mph.
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10:25 a.m.
Gov. Rick Scott is urging residents up and down Florida’s Interstate 95 corridor to start preparing for “direct impacts” of Hurricane Matthew.
Scott was in the Florida Keys Tuesday morning for a briefing on the Category 4 storm that is currently moving over the southwestern coast of Haiti. The storm is heading toward Cuba and the southeastern coast of Florida.
The governor warned residents to take the storm seriously, adding “we cannot rule out a direct hit.” He says heavy rain, spin off tornadoes, high winds and beach erosion are among the concerns in Florida.
He asked residents to listen for directions from local officials and to “prepare for the worst and hope for the best.”
Scott and other officials are urging people to have at least a three-day supply of food, water and medicine on hand. Also, Scott urged people to get gas in their vehicles and to keep cellphones charged in case of electrical power loss.
