Hurricane Matthew Eyes Florida; Expected to Remain 'Powerful' Through Thursday

TAMPA, FL — Hurricane Matthew maintained powerful maximum sustained winds of 140 mph Tuesday night as its eye made landfall near Cuba's eastern tip. The National Hurricane Center warned in its 8 p.m. Oct. 4 update that Matthew, a Category 4 storm, was likely to remain a "powerful" system well into Thursday night.

While Matthew gets top billing in the tropics, it's not the only storm on the scene. Tropical Storm Nicole officially formed in the late morning hours Tuesday. That storm was located near Puerto Rico as of 5 p.m. Tuesday. A disturbance also cropped up Tuesday afternoon a few hundred miles east of the Windward Islands.

As of the hurricane center's 8 p.m. Oct. 4 update, Matthew was located about 15 miles southwest of the eastern tip of Cuba. The system was moving north at 9 mph.

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The hurricane center anticipates Matthew will take a turn toward the north-northwest by Wednesday. Another shift to the northwest is expected at some point Wednesday night. The storm is projected to move near or over parts of the Bahamas on Wednesday before possibly moving on to Florida.

A large portion of Florida is in Matthew's potential path Thursday. With the threat looming, hurricane watches have been issued for the area from Deerfield Beach south to Golden Beach. Tropical storm watches are also in effect from the Seven Mile Bridge area in the Florida Keys north to just south of Deerfield Beach. Watches mean that conditions are possible in the designated area, generally within 48 hours.

Matthew's potential track shifted a bit west at the 8 p.m. update, putting more of the Sunshine State in its possible path. The storm is expected to arrive offshore of Florida at some point on Thursday.

In the Tampa Bay area, the National Weather Service is warning that tropical storm conditions may begin to impact the region Thursday night and into Friday.

Hurricane-force winds were extending out from Matthew up to 45 miles as of the center’s 8 p.m. Tuesday report. Tropical storm-force winds extended out 175 miles.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency for all counties as the dangerous storm draws closer. Scott also announced a partial activation of the Florida National Guard in advance of the storm.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Nicole has officially become the 14th named storm of the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season. As of the hurricane center's 5 p.m. Tuesday update, Nicole was located about 510 miles northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. The storm was packing maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and was moving northwest at 10 mph.

On its current projected path, Nicole doesn't pose much of a threat to the United States. The storm, however, may have a run-in with Bermuda later in the week.

The third system under watch is a disturbance that cropped up a few hundred miles east of the Windward Islands Tuesday afternoon. That storm remained disorganized as of the center's 8 p.m. update. The system has been given only a 20 percent chance of developing more over the next five days. It's moving westward at 10 to 15 mph.

Hurricane center forecasters say the tropical wave is kicking up heavy rain and gusty winds. As of Tuesday, the storm posed no threat to the United States.

The rise of activity in the tropics 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