Hurricane Matthew: South Florida Under Watch As Storm Reaches Category 4 In Haiti

Hurricane Matthew is getting stronger by the minute and many Caribbean countries are worried. As the hurricane worsens, South Florida is now under watch as Matthew intensifies and becomes a Category 4 storm. According to FOX News Latino, the U.S. National Hurricane Center has issued watches for most of Southern Florida and the Keys, as Hurricane Matthew continues to spread across the southwestern section of Haiti with 145mph winds. South Florida can begin to feel the wrath of Matthew, that is now considered a Category 4 storm, in as little as two days.

Miami-Dade County Mayor, Carlos Gimenez states that evacuation plans haven’t been announced but is recommending residents to start securing their homes, businesses and to start stocking up on water and other crucial supplies. “If we do order evacuations, we will open shelters up in Miami-Dade County that can take care of you,” Gimenez said, as quote by the Herald.

Matthew has already caused some damage in Haiti with uprooted tress and tore roofs from homes in the rural area of the country. The death tool has now risen to at least seven people with one person reportedly being killed in Haiti and four in the Dominican Republic.

Haitian officials have tried to evacuate people from the most vulnerable areas ahead of the storm, but many were not cooperating. Some people decided to seek shelter only when the storm was in full swing, making their way through debris-strewn streets amid pounding rain.

"Many people are now asking for help, but it's too late because there is no way to go evacuate them," said Fonie Pierre, director of Catholic Relief Services for the Les Cayes area, who was huddled in her office with about 20 people.

Matthew is expected to bring between 15-25 inches of rain and up to 40 inches in isolated places along with up to 10 feet of storm surge and battering waves.

The storm was last moving along the Windward Passage between Haiti and Jamaica, where it has dumped heavy rains and caused flooding. It was headed for southeastern Cuba and then into the Bahamas. The center of the storm was projected to pass about 50 miles northeast of the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Forecasters have predicted that it could cause damage in Florida toward the end of the week and make its way up towards the East Coast over the weekend.

"We do not know yet whether the center of Matthew will actually come ashore in Florida. That's possible," said Rick Knabb, director of the hurricane center. "It also could go to the right and stay farther offshore. The farther offshore it is, the lesser the impacts will be, but the impacts are going to happen no matter what."