Deadly Hurricane Matthew Gains Strength; Possible Track Shifts West Deeper Into Florida

SARASOTA, FL — As Hurricane Matthew approached Haiti late Monday night, its projected path for later in the week shifted more to the west with a large swath of Florida now in its sights. The Category 4 storm is anticipated to arrive near the Sunshine State Thursday evening.

As forecasters track Matthew’s trek through the Caribbean, they’re also keeping a close watch on another system in the Atlantic Ocean. That disturbance may have an impact on the East Coast in the future as it makes its way west-northwest from the Leeward Islands.

Hurricane Matthew was located about 100 miles south of Tiburon, Haiti, as of the National Hurricane Center's 11 p.m. update Monday, Oct. 3. The storm was moving north at 7 mph, packing 145 mph winds.

On its current projected path, Matthew is expected to impact Cuba Tuesday before moving onto the Bahamas Wednesday. A shift in direction to the north-northwest is also expected on Wednesday. Forecasters anticipate the storm will be offshore of Florida's east coast by Thursday evening with possible landfall in the southern part of the state.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency in advance of the storm's arrival. The declaration covers every county in the Sunshine State.

Hurricane Matthew has killed a man in Colombia, a 16-year old in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and two men in Haiti, according to the Chicago Tribune.

As of Monday night, hurricane-force winds were extending out from Matthew up to 40 miles. Tropical storm-force winds extended out 185 miles.

While it’s still too early to tell what, if any, impact the storm will have on Florida’s weather, forecasters are urging residents and visitors to keep a close watch on Matthew. Current projections show strong winds likely across the state over the next few days.

The second storm under watch by the hurricane center is a broad area of low pressure located about 430 miles north-northeast of the northern Leeward Islands Monday night. The storm’s chances of developing have increased over the past day. Forecasters now say there’s about a 60 percent chance of further development over the next five days.

On its current projected path, the storm could have an impact along the Eastern Seaboard in the future. The system is moving west-northwest to northwest at 10 to 15 mph.

Hurricane Matthew’s formation comes at the peak of the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season. Forecasters at the hurricane center say the eight-week period that begins in mid-August and runs through mid-October is a “season within the season.” This eight-week period “is often the most active and dangerous time for tropical cyclone activity,” NOAA explained on its website.

The eight-week period is historically responsible for major spikes in tropical weather activity, NOAA said. In fact, it accounts for about 78 percent of all tropical storm days on record. It is also the period when 87 percent of the category 1 and 2 hurricane days on record occurred. In addition, this period is responsible for “a whopping 96 percent of the major (category 3, 4 and 5) hurricane days.”

Tampa Bay hasn’t been struck by a hurricane in more than 90 years. Even so, it’s had some close calls this year. Most recently, Hurricane Hermine left flooding woes in her wake as she passed by on her way to the Panhandle. Experts say the region's lucky streak isn’t likely to last. It’s not a question of if, but when, forecasters say.

To find out more about hurricane season and storm preparation, read these related Patch stories:

• Hurricane Season 2016: Where To Find Local Information
• 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season’s Peak is Now
• 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast Released
• Hurricane Season: How to Prepare
• 2016 Hurricane Names: Is Yours On the List?
• Tampa Bay 'Ripe for Disaster,' Hurricane Experts Say

To keep up with storm activity as the season develops, bookmark the National Hurricane Center’s website, and keep an eye on your hometown Patch site for local information.

Graphics courtesy of NOAA