Hurricane Matthew is packing heavy rain and winds of over 100 mph as it moves along the Georgia coast.
[READ: Hurricane Matthew leaving heavy rain, flooding along Georgia coast]
Gov. Nathan Deal activated 1,000 members of the National Guard who are tasked with helping local municipalities keep order as Hurricane Matthew moves up the Georgia coast.
Channel 2 Action News has crews spread out across the Georgia and Florida coasts. Stay with WSBTV.com and watch Severe Weather Team 2 coverage throughout the day on Channel 2 Action News.
The latest track of the Category 2 storm now puts it about 56 miles off the coast of Georgia when it makes its way along the state late Friday night, early Saturday morning.
Follow our minute-by-minute coverage on Hurricane Matthew here:
11:05 a.m.
The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Matthew has made landfall. The center said in a news release Saturday morning that the storm's center made landfall just southeast of the town of McClellanville. The NHC says a "serious inland flooding event" is taking place.
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7:50 a.m.
GDOT crews head out to assess areas impacted by Hurricane Matthew. They will focus on bridge inspections, roadway assessments and debris removal.
GDOT teams heading to all impacted areas - Focus on Bridge Inspections, Roadway Assessments and Debris Removal-- Georgia DOT (@GADeptofTrans)
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7:37 a.m.
Tropical Storm and Hurricane Warnings canceled for parts of Southeast Georgia as Hurricane Matthew moves away.
Tropical Storm & Hurricane Warnings canceled for parts of SE GA as
moves away. LIVE coverage NOW on
-- Katie Walls (@KatieWallsWSB)
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6:49 a.m.
Officials say 80% of Chatham County, Georgia is without power.
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6:45 a.m.
The northern eyewall of Hurricane Matthew moves over Charleston. Storm surge improves in Southeast Georgia.
Northern eyewall over Charleston NOW. Storm surge improving in SE GA!
-- Katie Walls (@KatieWallsWSB)
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6:30 a.m.
The National Weather Service says "life-threatening inundation still expected across upper Georgia and lower South Carolina coasts."
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6:20 a.m.
Charleston, South Carolina has gotten more than 5 inches of rain as the eyewall moves onshore.
More than 5" so far in Charleston, SC as eyewall moves onshore. Flash flooding, storm surge a concern for SC.
-- Katie Walls (@KatieWallsWSB)
Georgia Power customers are experiencing widespread outages throughout Southeast Georgia.
.
is experiencing widespread outages throughout South East Georgia due to
. The latest numbers here:
-- WSB-TV (@wsbtv)
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4:25 a.m.
Hurricane Matthew is making itself felt in South Carolina. Hurricane-force winds are moving onshore at Hilton Head and Pritchards Island, South Carolina, the National Hurricane Center reports. At least one wind gust of 61 mph (98 kph) was recorded at Beaufort, South Carolina. Matthew remains a Category 2 hurricane and is moving north off the coast, centered about 30 miles (130 km) south-southwest of Hilton Head.
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2 a.m.
Hurricane Matthew continues to move north off the Georgia coast and its center is forecast to move near or over the South Carolina coast Saturday morning, the National Hurricane Center reports. The Category 2 hurricane will near North Carolina's southern coast by Saturday night, the center says. Matthew has sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph), and is 45 miles (70 kilometers) south of Hilton Head, South Carolina. It is moving north about 12 mph (19 kph). ----
9:50 p.m.
Gov. Deal activates 1,000 additional members of the National Guard to assist emergency response to Hurricane Matthew.
I've called up 1000 add'l
to assist state & local authorities w/
emergency response. 2000 guardsmen now activated.-- Governor Nathan Deal (@GovernorDeal)
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8:54 p.m. Hurricane Matthew moves along Georgia coast.
At 9 pm the eye of Mathew located 87 mi from Savannah and 67 miles from Brunswick.
-- Katie Walls (@KatieWallsWSB)
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7:53 p.m. Georgia Power provides update on outages across the state.
The colors on our outage map indicate the number of customers affected: green is the lowest number and red is the greatest
-- Georgia Power (@GeorgiaPower)
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7:40 p.m. Channel 2's Richard Elliot says parts of downtown Savannah are in darkness.
Parts of downtown Savannah are in the dark as
moves closer.
-- Richard Elliot (@RElliotWSB)
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6:35 p.m. Georgia Power announced it is mobilizing nearly 5,000 personnel to respond to Hurricane Matthew.
mobilizing nearly 5,000 personnel to respond to
. Please stay informed&be safe
-- Georgia Power (@GeorgiaPower)
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5:55 p.m. Outer bands of Hurricane Matthew bringing rain to metro Atlanta.
Yes, friends, those are OUTER RAIN BANDS impacting parts of the Metro. So far 0.17" at
studios in Midtown.
-- Katie Walls (@KatieWallsWSB)
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5:50 p.m. Video shows a piece breaking off the pier in Jacksonville Beach as Matthew moves through the area.
Piece breaks off Jacksonville Beach Pier during
-- ActionNewsJax (@ActionNewsJax)
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5:37 p.m. Chatham County has suspended EMS and fire services as conditions worsen in the area.
All EMS and SSFD services are now suspended due to winds reaching sustained speeds of 39MPH.
-- Chatham EMA (@ChathamEMA)
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5:30 p.m. Nearly 700,000 Florida residents are without power as Matthew moves through.
681,140 Florida Power residents without electricity as of 5:30 PM.
-- Katie Walls (@KatieWallsWSB)
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5:15 p.m. The American Red Cross has mobilized more than 1,800 people to help in the wake of Hurricane Matthew.
1,800+ Red Crossers have mobilized to support evacuation shelters &
response. Ways you can help:
-- American Red Cross (@RedCross)
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5 p.m. Updated track of Hurricane Matthew shows it making an abrupt turn after Savannah.
5pm track update: Approaching Savannah tonight, then an aburpt turn. That will be crucial.
-- Brad Nitz (@BradNitzWSB)
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4:51 p.m. Hurricane Matthew weakens to a Category 2. It now has sustained winds of 110 mph and gusts up to 130 mph. Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Katie Walls says the strongest winds will be tonight along GA coast.
Strongest wind to arrive TONIGHT along GA coast and Savannah. Hurricane force winds possible 74+ mph in RED.
-- Katie Walls (@KatieWallsWSB)
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4:50 p.m. Photos show St. Augustine and Jacksonville Beach areas hit hard by flooding.
Cars floated down the street in St. Augustine as
pummeled the coast. (Image: Getty)
-- All Things WSB-TV (@AllThingsWSB)
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4:45 p.m. Savannah officials say in news conference that tornadoes have touched down in the area.
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4:30 p.m. Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Brad Nitz says the ocean rise will peak at 6 to 9 feet in some spots along the Georgia coast.
Storm surge flooding has begun on the Georgia coast. The ocean rise will peak at 6-9' in spots. Tracking on
.
-- Brad Nitz (@BradNitzWSB)
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4:15 p.m. Conditions worsening along the Georgia coast. Channel 2's Ross Cavitt says streets are flooding and several roads are closing in the area.
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4:00 p.m. According to our sister station WFTV, at least one person has died in the storm in Florida. Officials told them the woman went out to feed her animals and was killed by a falling tree.
BREAKING: Woman killed by falling tree in Volusia County
-- Tenikka Smith Hughes (@TenikkaANjax)
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3:44 p.m. Brunswick police say they are no longer responding to calls because of worsening conditions in the area.
Because of the worsening conditions, officers are now in a standby mode in safe locations and are not responding to calls.-- Brunswick Police (@brunswickgapd)
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3:30 p.m. Reports of flooding continue across the Georgia coast.
Flooding in St. Marys, Ga.
-- Scott Trubey (@FitzTrubey)
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3:10 p.m. Photos sent to our sister station WFTV shows roads washing out as Hurricane Matthew moves along the Florida coast.
Viewer photos coming in showing roads being washed away at 15th Street in Flagler Beach.
-- WFTV Eyewitness News (@WFTV)
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3 p.m. Parts of coastal Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina could see up to 15 inches of rain.
Heaviest rain will run along extreme coastal GA into SC and NC. Up to 15" possible for some. SERIOUS flooding threat
-- Katie Walls (@KatieWallsWSB)
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2:53 p.m. Parts of the Georgia coast are already experiencing major flooding.
Hurricane winds forcing the Atlantic into Brunswick, topping roads and flooding buildings.
-- Ross Cavitt | WSB-TV (@RossCavittWSB)
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2:45 p.m. Conditions worsening on Georgia coast. People who stayed advised to shelter in place.
SHELTER IN PLACE - Conditions have deteriorated to a point that persons remaining in Glynn County are advised to...
-- Glynn County Gvt (@GlynnCounty)
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2:30 p.m. Tornado warning issued in Chatham County.
New event. Tornado Warning from 10/7/2016 2:29 PM to 2:45 PM EDT for Chatham County. More informatio… Read more at
-- Savannah EM (@SavannahOEM)
2:20 p.m. Coastal Georgia officials warn that winds are picking up in the area.
Wind gusts have reached 42 MPH in
. If you choose to leave, use extreme caution.-- Chatham EMA (@ChathamEMA)
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2:15 p.m. St.Augustine and Jacksonville areas are being hit hard. Water is beginning to pour into the streets in Jacksonville Beach, Florida.
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2 p.m. Winds decrease slightly. Maximum winds are now reaching 115 mph.
2pm update: Max winds have decreased sligthly to 115 mph. Still a major, category 3 hurricane.
-- Brad Nitz (@BradNitzWSB)
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1:50 p.m. Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Brian Monahan says hurricane-force winds are possible directly along the Georgia coastline.
Hurricane-force winds possible DIRECTLY along the GA coastline; TROPICAL STORM FORCE forecast to extend 80 mi inland
-- Brian Monahan, WSB (@BMonahanWSB)
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1:30 p.m. Emergency officials warn of tornado warnings popping up as Hurricane Matthew moves up towards the Georgia coast.
Make sure you are tornado ready! With the rain and incoming winds, we are having tornado warnings pop up around the coast.
-- Georgia DOT (@GADeptofTrans)
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1:10 p.m. Georgia DOT warns that the rain is picking up in coastal Georgia as the hurricane moves up the Florida coast. It is expected to move across the state line around 8 p.m. with 115 mph winds. It's projected path has it staying off the coast of Georgia.
The rain is definitely starting. Stay safe, Georgia. Remember to Drive Alert and keep updated by following us
and
-- Georgia DOT (@GADeptofTrans)
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1:05 p.m. Contra flow is ending on I-16, but eastbound lanes will remain closed from Statesboro to Savannah.
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1 p.m. Georgia officials sending warnings to those who decided to stay and ride out the storm.
PLEASE RETWEET: GEMHSA Director Jim Butterworth with a message for anyone in the path of
| STORY:
-- WSB-TV (@wsbtv)
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12:45 p.m. 1,000 National Guardsmen are on active duty in Georgia right now and more will be brought in to help with potential rescues after the hurricane hits.
Public health officials say they evacuated 4 hospitals and 9 nursing homes along GA coast.-- Carol Sbarge (@carolsbargeWSB)
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12:40 p.m. GEMA warns that emergency response could take up to 72 hours after Matthew hits. The director says they will not send first responders out in conditions that put them in danger.
GEMA: Emergency response may not be available for up to 72 hours after
hits if conditions endanger first responders
-- WSB-TV (@wsbtv)
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12:35 p.m. GEMA director says 9,000 people are in shelters in Georgia right now.
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12:30 p.m. Gov. Nathan Deal holds news conference about Hurricane Matthew.
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12:20 p.m. Talmadge Bridge in Savannah closes. GEMA director says bridges will have to be reinspected before reopening.
Breaking: GDOT crews just closed the iconic Talmadge Bridge from Savannah into SC in anticipation of
-- Richard Elliot (@RElliotWSB)
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12:15 p.m. South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley says the forecast for the state appears to have gotten worse. At a news conference Friday, Haley warned residents that South Carolina is now looking at major winds, major storm surges, and flooding that could compare to the historic floods of last October.
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11:38 a.m. Channel 2's Richard Elliot says lots of people still on Tybee Island despite the governor's mandatory evacuation order yesterday. All emergency responders left Tybee Island earlier Friday as increasingly heavy rains at high tide threatened to flood the only road to the mainland. Tybee Island Mayor Jason Buelterman was taking names of people believed to remain on the island and had police officers calling them. "This is what happens when you don't get hit by a hurricane for 100 years."
Police allowed us access to Tybee Island. We found several people still here despite the mandatory evacuation order.
-- Richard Elliot (@RElliotWSB)
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11:25 a.m. Florida officials warning that once bridges close, they will not reopen until at least Saturday morning.
It should be no surprise that bridges are closing. Plan on them all closing in the next couple hours.
-- Jax Sheriff's Office (@JSOPIO)
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11:20 a.m. Reporters from our sister station in Jacksonville reporting major flooding.
20 people, including children, stuck in
bed & breakfast. They say they're getting worried, as the surge is about to come in.
-- Russell Colburn (@RussellANjax)
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11:15 a.m. U.S. Coast Guard closes Port of Charleston as Matthew approaches South Carolina. No vessels can leave Charleston or enter the port.
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11:10 a.m. Updated track shows hurricane will be just off the coast of Georgia around 8 p.m. Friday with 115 mph winds.
11am track update: Matthew's center just east of the Georgia coast, with Georgia impacts. On
at noon.
-- Brad Nitz (@BradNitzWSB)
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11:00 a.m. More than 4,500 flights have been canceled between Wednesday and Saturday because of Hurricane Matthew, according to the Associated Press. All flights to Orlando have been canceled Friday and half on Saturday.
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10:50 a.m. Some parts of Florida have already received more than 7 inches of rain.
Rainfall totals are creeping upward from
. High risk of
for today and tomorrow.
-- NWS WPC (@NWSWPC)
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10:42 a.m. Severe Weather Team 2 meteorologists Karen Minton and Brad Nitz answer questions about Hurricane Matthew.
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10:40 a.m. President Obama holds news conference about Hurricane Matthew. "This is still a really dangerous Hurricane," he said "Those of you living in Georgia should be paying attention."
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10:35 a.m. Gov. Nathan Deal expected to hold a news conference about Hurricane Matthew at 12:30 p.m.
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10:30 a.m. Florida Gov. Rick Scott is cautioning Floridians that Hurricane Matthew could still do substantial damage before it passes by the northeast end of the state. Scott said the hurricane "still has time to do a direct hit" and he remarked that "the worst part of this is yet to come."
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10:15 a.m. GDOT announces that the Talmadge Memorial Bridge in Savannah will close at 12 p.m. due to the anticipated gale-force winds.
Reminder -
is closing the Talmadge Bridge in Savannah at noon today, in preparation for
-- Georgia EM&HS (@GeorgiaEMA)
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9:55 a.m. Winds reaching up to 120 mph causing choppy, rough waters along the coast.
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9:30 a.m. GDOT announced it will close the Sidney Lanier Bridge at 10 a.m. The bridge will remain closed until the strong winds subside. The bridge is a primary route to the Golden Isles -- including Jekyll Island, Sea Island, St. Simons Island and Little St. Simons Island -- from Interstate 95.
Crews are closing bridges in coastal Georgia as Hurricane Matthew inches toward our coast. Sidney Lanier Bridge in Brunswick.
-- Ross Cavitt | WSB-TV (@RossCavittWSB)
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9:15 a.m. NASA reports mostly minor damage to the Kennedy Space Center from earlier Friday morning. They say there has also been power outages and loss of AC and water pressure.
7AM: gust of 107 mph measured at Cape Canaveral.
-- Brad Nitz (@BradNitzWSB)
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8:45 a.m. Rains from the outer bans of Hurricane Matthew are already spinning onto the Georgia and South Carolina coast.
The Associate Press contributed to this report.
