Last updated at 2 a.m. ET Friday:

Hurricane Matthew is hugging the Florida coast, but the eye of the storm appears to be staying offshore.

Matthew is a Category 3 storm, with winds of 120 mph. So the storm weakened.

Even though the eye of the storm will likely stay offshore, the coastline will still be battered with strong sustained winds.

It is located roughly 67 miles ESE of Melbourne in Brevard County, moving northwest at 14 mph.

In Brevard County, emergency crews have been pulled off the road because of intensifying winds and downed power lines.

Already there are reports of power outages and damage throughout the state, including thousands without power in Central Florida.

Be prepared to lose power and still get critical information from News 13:

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IMPORTANT INFORMATION

  • State phone numbers:
    • Florida Emergency Information Line: 1-800-342-3557
    • Florida Price Gouging Hotline: 1-866-966-7226

Latest Update

The latest forecast track brings Matthew on a northwesterly course toward the Florida peninsula throughout the night, causing conditions to deteriorate from southeast to northwest.  

WARNINGS

Hurricane warnings for:

  • Flagler
  • Volusia
  • Brevard
  • Seminole
  • Orange
  • Osceola

Tropical Storm warnings for:

  • Lake
  • Sumter
  • Marion
  • Polk

Squalls are now spreading up the Florida coast and tropical storm force winds have been reported in several areas. The winds are only going to increase throughout the morning.

Hurricane force winds will continue through Friday afternoon for areas along the east coast and inland as far west as Orange County.

Rainfall totals of 4-8” possible for most locations and more may occur with some of the heavier downpours. Storm surge could be up to 7 feet and will cause some coastal flooding and coastal erosion.

There could be some weakening but Matthew is still expected to be a major hurricane on or near the Florida coast late tonight and tomorrow morning.  Fluctuations in intensity during a IRC are impossible to predict.

Don’t worry about the “loop around” of Matthew at this point.  It will be a much weaker system with enormous amounts of dry air and wind shear over the state. 

If whatever is left of Matthew does loop back toward Florida it will be a much weaker system.

Also, you will see new Hurricane Nicole which is expected to meander around the Atlantic for days.  No threat expected, but we will keep watching it.

Friday, Oct. 7, 2016

1 a.m.

Our reporters say transformers are blowing all over southern Brevard County.

12:15 a.m.

Volusia County's mandatory curfew is now in effect.

Also, all bridges going from the mainland to the beachside are now closed because of strong winds.

The westbound lanes on the bridges will stay open so vehicles can still leave beachside.

Thursday, Oct. 06, 2016

11:50 p.m.

Lake County issued a voluntary evacuation order because of possible flooding in Astor along the St. Johns River.

The county is not issuing a curfew, but they are asking people to stay off the roads for the time being.

A 24-hour Citizens Information Line is available at 352-253-9999.

11:40 p.m.

Brevard County officials say cellular service is being taxed by high volume. If you are trying to reach a loved one in Brevard County, they ask you to send a text instead of trying to call.

Meanwhile, over 2,300 people are without power in Brevard County, according to FPL.

10:30 p.m.

Several roads in Sanford are closed because of flooding.

H.E. Thomas Road is closed from Old Lake Mary Road to Airport Boulevard. Several vehicles are stalled in the flood water.

The intersection of 18th Street and Holly Avenue is closed.

Several other roads are also flooded, as is the parking lot of Central Florida Regional Hospital.

Follow the Sanford Police Twitter account for the latest.

Distances

As of 2 a.m. ET Friday, Matthew was at 27.6N, 79.7W. That is:

  • 113 miles ESE of Orlando
  • 137 miles SE of Daytona Beach
  • 77 miles SE of Cape Canaveral
  • 67 miles ESE of Melbourne
  • 222 miles SE of Jacksonville
  • 65 miles NNE of West Palm Beach
  • 105 miles NNE of Fort Lauderdale
  • 247 miles NE of Key West

Previous updates

9:40 p.m.

Brevard County will not issue a mandatory curfew, but they are asking people to stay inside throughout the storm.

"As soon as our public safety teams and utility companies give an "all clear" notification we will alert our citizens that it is safe to return to their homes and surrounding areas.

"We truly can't thank you enough for you continued cooperation throughout this critical incident and for all you do to keep Brevard County an incredible place to call home."

8:50 p.m.

Volusia county is ordering a mandatory curfew, starting at midnight tonight and running through 7 a.m. Saturday.

8:15 p.m.

Nemours Children Hospital in Orange County is suspending all visitation at this time.  

7:30 p.m.

Gov. Scott urged North Brevard County residents to evacuate quickly in his latest update.

Scott also said FEMA had been on the ground since last week in anticipation of this storm. President Obama signed the Federal Emergency Declaration, freeing up federal resources for the state. He signed one for South Carolina as well.

Scott said he is asking FEMA for additional generators and pumps.

Scott says power will go out. Brevard County says thousands are already without power. They will work to get the power back as quickly as possible.

The governor was also asked whether he would honor the Clinton campaign's request to extend Florida voter registration in light of the storm. The deadline to register is Tuesday, Oct. 11. Scott said he would not.

6:40 p.m.

Orange County has imposed a curfew for tonight at 10 p.m. until Saturday at 7 a.m.

Flagler County is enacting a mandatory curfew for all areas east of I-95 between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Also, all alcohol sales across Flagler County will be suspended effective immediately.

6:20 p.m.

Votran bus service in Volusia County stops at 6:30 p.m.

Also, east side shelters are full. The county is asking residents looking for shelter to head for the west side of the county.

5:50 p.m.

Orlando International Airport will close tonight at 8 p.m.

4:40 p.m.

From Brevard County EOC:

The City of Melbourne and the City of Cocoa Water Utilities will be shutting off the main water feeds to the beachside and all barrier island communities around 6 p.m. today, Oct. 6.

The utilities are shutting down the water feeds beachside in order to protect the infrastructure and integrity of the entire water distribution system due to the unprecedented severity of the storm, the intensity of the winds, the potential for extreme erosion and flooding, and potential for damage to the system.

Residents remaining on the barrier islands will eventually experience a drop in water pressure after that time. A limited amount of water will remain in the beachside storage system and how long that lasts will depend on how conservative the beachside residents are in their water use.  We recommend residents filling any and all bathtubs.

Water will be turned back on as possible after the storm and any needed repairs have been made. Because the Utilities Departments cannot guarantee system pressure from that point forward, a Precautionary Boil Water Notice will be in effect until further notice for the affected.

We continue to urge all beachside residents to evacuate the barrier island for their safety.

4 p.m.

Seminole County is under a mandatory curfew starting Friday from 5 a.m. through Saturday at 7 a.m.

People are being asked to stay off the roads.

The county also issued voluntary evacuations for those in mobile and low-lying areas. Six shelters are open today.

3 p.m.

Citrus Connection will suspend all transit service as a result of the effects on Polk County from Hurricane Matthew. All final departure times for Citrus Connection, Winter Have Area Transit, Lynx buses (Routes 416, 427 and 603) and paratransit trips will occur by 4:15 p.m. today allowing passengers to complete their trip. Citrus Connection will be shutting down for the day at 6:30 p.m. There will be no service on Friday. Service is anticipated to return on Saturday. More details will be shared as the storm passes.

2 p.m.

Hurricane Matthew still has maximum sustained winds of 140 mph, according to the 2 p.m. advisory from the National Hurricane Center.

1:40 p.m.

President Barack Obama declared an emergency exists in the State of Florida and ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal, and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Matthew.

1:15 p.m.

Haiti interior minister says in capital that death toll now at 108 from Hurricane Matthew (Associated Press).

1 p.m.

Walt Disney World adds its name to the growing list of theme park closures. Get an updated list here.

On Thursday morning, Universal Orlando announced that Universal Studios Florida, Universal's Islands of Adventure and CityWalk would close at 5 p.m. and remain closed Friday.

8 a.m.

Hurricane Matthew is approaching Andros Island in the Bahamas.  Matthew will move through the northwestern Bahamas during the next few hours on its way toward the east coast of Florida later today and tonight.

2 a.m.

Hurricane Matthew is over the Central Bahamas now. It has not re-strengthened yet, but it is expected to intensify as it gets closer to Florida. It is a dangerous category 3 storm that is expected to bring it very near the Florida east coast.

A Hurricane Warning has been issued for the area north of the Flagler/Volusia county line to Fernandina Beach.

The death toll from Matthew in the Caribbean is now up to 16. Ten people have been confirmed dead in Haiti, but that number may go up as the country gets into the worst areas. 

1:50 a.m.

Rescuers in Haiti are struggling to reach isolated towns in the aftermath of Matthew.

At least 16 deaths so far have been blamed on Matthew in the Caribbean. Ten of those are in Haiti.

A key bridge in the southern peninsula has washed out, roads are impassable and phone communications are down. There is widespread flooding across Southern Haiti.

Haiti's government has also postponed Sunday's presidential election because some schools and churches that double as polling places are now being used as shelters.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

1:30 a.m.

Some gas stations are running out of gas as people prepare for Hurricane Matthew.

The Wawa gas station on East Colonial Drive in Orlando ran out of gas Wednesday night.  

Caila Coleman, 28, said her mom gave her a list of things she needed to do before a hurricane and said getting ice and gas were both on that list.  

"I had to fight my way across here because it was so much traffic just trying to get into Wawa," said Coleman.  

We also got reports of possible price gouging at several gas stations in the area.

If you're concerned, you can call the Florida Price Gouging Hotline at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM.

Wednesday, Oct. 05, 2016

8:25 p.m. Florida Gov. Rick Scott has requested an emergency declaration from the the Obama administration, which pre-emptively asks the federal government for items such as food, water and tarps. The governor also activated an additional 1,000 National Guard members for a total of 1,500.

Watches and warnings

A hurricane warning is in effect for:

  • Central Bahamas, including Long Island, Exuma, Rum Cay, San Salvador, and Cat Island
  • Northwestern Bahamas, including the Abacos, Andros Island, Berry Islands, Bimini, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama Island, and New Providence
  • North of the Flagler/Volusia county line to Fernandina Beach
  • Lake Okeechobee
  • Central Florida counties of Brevard, Orange, Volusia, Flagler, Osceola and Seminole

A hurricane watch is in effect for:

  • North of Fernandina Beach to Edisto Beach, South Carolina

A tropical storm warning is in effect for:

  • Chokoloskee to Golden Beach
  • Florida Bay
  • Central Florida counties of Lake, Marion, Sumter and Polk

A tropical storm watch is in effect for:

  • Florida Gulf Coast

Forecast models, track

Interactive Storm Tracker