Hurricane impact: State of emergency declared in 13 Georgia counties

Gov. Nathan Deal announced Tuesday a state of emergency for 13 counties along Georgia's coast as Hurricane Matthew prepares to make landfall in the United States later this week.

The hurricane is expected to reach the tip of Florida just east of Miami about 2 p.m. Thursday, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brad Nitz said. From there, it should move to east of Jacksonville on Friday afternoon and hit the Carolinas by 2 p.m. Saturday.

Matthew brought 145-mph winds to Jamaica, caused cruise lines to re-route and brought more than 3 feet of rain to Haiti and Hispaniola. Winds are at 140 mph with gusts at 165 mph.

The hurricane landed in Cuba about 5 p.m. Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. At 8 p.m., Matthew touched down about 15 miles east of tip of Cuba.

RELATED: See Hurricane Matthew’s projected path

Deal urged people not to panic, adding that the state is working with FEMA officials in the coastal region.

The state of emergency includes Brantley, Bryan, Bulloch, Camden, Charlton, Chatham, Effingham, Evans, Glynn, Liberty, Long, McIntosh and Wayne counties.

No evacuation plans have been made yet, Deal said, but that could change depending on Matthew's path.

Savannah Art of College and Design officials cancelled classes from Oct. 5 to Oct. 9. Armstrong Atlantic State University issued a statement saying are monitoring conditions.

"Armstrong's Crisis Response Team will be meeting (Wednesday) morning to determine the best course of action, based on the latest forecast for Hurricane Matthew," according to a Facebook Post. "Any decisions regarding cancellation of classes or special events on campus will be communicated to students, faculty and staff as soon as possible."

Savannah State University has not cancelled classes yet, but has a plan in place in case conditions worsen.

"The university has contacted the University System institution that is our evacuation site and they are preparing for our arrival in the event evacuation is necessary," according to a statement on the university's website. "The university will provide transportation for residential students and support staff. Planning is ongoing as is monitoring of the storm and coordination with Chatham Emergency Management Association."

Airport conditions are operating as normal, according to the Federal Aviation Administration website, but Delta Air Lines warned that Matthew could affect flights going to and from Florida and parts of the Caribbean.

Delta is working with travelers on accommodations.

Hurricane Matthew could also affect the University of Georgia's football game against the University of South Carolina on Saturday night. School officials are monitoring the weather conditions to decide if they're going to have to move the game or cancel it.

"We are in communication with the National Weather Service, local weather authorities and the SEC regarding potential weather issues," South Carolina school officials said on Twitter.

South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley said at a news conference Tuesday, while declaring a state of emergency for her state, that she can't imagine the two teams playing this weekend.

“It’s a complete decision based on the schools,” Haley said. “As of now, I can’t imagine that happening, but certainly we’re going to continue to watch this. I would love nothing more than to see this take a right-hand turn and go out to sea. As it looks right now, we’re looking at Friday afternoon into Saturday being pretty brutal.”

Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan called Matthew the strongest storm in the Atlantic in about 10 years.

Wind speeds are expected to pick up when the hurricane reaches landfall in the U.S. later this week.

Coastal Georgia faces the possibility of beach and highway erosion.

Today: Warm. Low humidity. High: 82

Tonight: Mostly clear. Low: 64 

Tomorrow: Breezy. Mostly sunny. High: 81

Wear a sweater, pack a scarf and bring a hat.

The Category 4 hurricane will result in breezy conditions in metro Atlanta on Wednesday, according to Channel 2. But other than that, the impact on metro Atlanta will be minimal.

Expect low humidity, rain-free conditions, plenty of sunshine and highs that will remain in the 80s all week.

Temperatures were 72 degrees in Atlanta, 68 in Blairsville and 66 in Griffin just before 10:30 p.m.