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HURRICANE WATCH: Matthew Poised To Strike East Coast, 1 Million Evacuated

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Washington, D.C. — Hurricane Matthew is bearing down on the U.S. East Coast, and more than 1 million people have already begun evacuating their homes in South Carolina.

The Daily Caller News Foundation will be issuing updates on the storm and its impacts as they happen.

Wednesday 9:30 a.m. EST — On its current track, Matthew will “be moving across the Bahamas through Thursday, and is expected to be very near the east coast of Florida by Thursday evening,” according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC). Matthew is currently a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds of 115 miles per hour, but it could strengthen in the coming days.

Forecasters predict Matthew could bring 4 to 7 inches of rain to south and central parts of Florida, and storm surge is expected to be as high as 5 feet in North Palm Beach.

“The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline,” NHC reported Wednesday.

“There is a danger of life-threatening inundation during the next 36 hours along the Florida east coast from North Palm Beach to the Sebastian Inlet. There is the possibility of life-threatening inundation during the next 48 hours from Sebastian Inlet to the Flagler/Volusia county line. For a depiction of areas at risk, please see the Prototype National Weather Service Storm Surge Watch/Warning Graphic. For information specific to your area, please see products issued by your local National Weather Service forecast office,” according to NHC.

Should Matthew make landfall as a Category 3 storm, it would be the first major hurricane to make landfall in the U.S. in the last 11 years. Hurricane Wilma in 2005 was the last major hurricane to make landfall in the U.S.

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