Hurricane Matthew is heading toward Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. ChannelE2E will regularly update this blog with storm information -- including the latest reports on airport closings, evacuations, power outages, business continuity and disaster recovery.
As of 3:00 p.m.. ET on Thursday, October 6...
Technology companies such as Axcient and StorageCraft have launched free disaster recovery services and/or software for organizations impacted by the storm (see updates toward the bottom of this article).
Hurricane Matthew Storm Path
The storm has already killed at least 28 people in three Caribbean countries, CNN reports. It's packing 140 mile-per-hour winds, and qualifies as a Category 4 Hurricane -- second only to a Category 5 rating. The storm is tracking toward the following areas and expected to make impact at the following times.
- Florida Peninsula (particularly eastern Florida): Late day Thursday-Friday, possibly lingering into early Saturday in northeast Florida.
- Southeast Georgia: Friday-Saturday.
- Eastern Carolinas: Later Friday-Saturday, possibly continuing into Sunday.
- Source: The Weather Channel
Hurricane Matthew Storm Location
Here's a look at the location, hour by hour
- Source: Weather Underground
Hurricane Matthew Evacuations
- Authorities have urged more than 2 million people to leave their homes in coastal Florida, Georgia and South Carolina as the storm neared -- the largest mandatory evacuations in the United States since Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast in 2012.
- Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has declared a state of emergency in 30 counties on or near the Atlantic Coast, and officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for Tybee Island, a low-lying island east of Savannah.
- North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency for more than half the state's 100 counties. So far, though, the governor has not urged residents to evacuate.
- South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley gave evacuation orders for the coastal counties of Charleston and Beaufort.
- Source: CNN
Hurricane Matthew Airport Closures
Travel to and from major airports near or within the storm's path could become difficult to impossible. Already, the following airports have announced plans to close:
- Fort Lauderdale's airport closed Thursday, Oct. 6 at 10:30 a.m.
- Miami international Airport expects to cancel most flights by noon, Oct. 6.
- Orlando International will stop flights at 8 p.m. ET, Oct. 6.
Other airports monitoring the storm:
- Tampa International Airport has reported a handful of cancellations and delays.
- Jacksonville International Airport will remain open as long as planes can land.
- Sources: Multiple reports.
Note: Check with your specific carrier for the most timely flight and airport information.
Hurricane Matthew and Famous Landmarks
- Walt Disney World is expected to close on Thursday at 5 p.m. ET and expects to reopen on Saturday morning.
- Universal Studios Orlando is closing today (Thursday) and also expects to reopen Saturday morning.
- Source: TMZ
Hurricane Matthew Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery
Numerous vendors are launching free services to assist companies in the storm's path. Examples include:
- Axcient is offering complimentary disaster recovery services ahead of Matthew's potential U.S. impact.
- StorageCraft is offering free backup technology to businesses and non-profit organizations across Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
Please note: ChannelE2E doesn't know the overall offer terms from each vendor.
Contact Us
We'll update this area as information surfaces. Got an update for us? Email me: [email protected].
