Hurricane Matthew: Mid-Atlantic Monitoring Dangerous Storm as Southeast Plans Evacuations

MIAMI, FL — States in the Southeast began preparing for Hurricane Matthew's arrival on the U.S. coast later this week, as forecasters in the Mid-Atlantic states monitor the path of the storm to determine what impacts the region could face. Matthew appears likely to take a trek up the U.S. coast this weekend.

Hurricane Matthew is on a path that's expected to hit far eastern Cuba later Tuesday, according to the National Hurricane Center. Maximum sustained winds are near 140 mph — a Category 4 storm capable of causing major damage.

Forecasters along coastal Virginia and Maryland have issued advisories warning of at least heavy rainfall and gusty winds this weekend from the storm — with the severity depending on Matthew's eventual route. In the D.C. and Baltimore metro areas, the weather service notes it is too early to predict the impacts of the storm.

• Keep up with Hurricane Matthew: Download the new Patch news app for real-time notifications.

"When a hurricane is forecast to take a track roughly parallel to a coastline, as Matthew is forecast to do from Florida through South Carolina, it becomes very difficult to estimate impacts this far in advance," the hurricane center noted in a Tuesday afternoon advisory. "It will likely take another day or so for the potential impacts of Matthew in the United States to clarify."

A hurricane watch has been issued for much of Florida's Atlantic coast, which should see impacts from Hurricane Matthew by Thursday. Evacuations have been ordered for 3 p.m. Wednesday for coastal South Carolina. Georgia's governor declared a state of emergency Tuesday in 13 counties.

As of the hurricane center's 5 p.m. update on Tuesday, Matthew was located about 65 miles east-southeast of Guantanamo, Cuba. The system was moving north at 9 mph. The hurricane center reported the eye of storm was expected to hit far eastern Cuba on Tuesday evening.

The storm's strength will deteriorate as Hurricane Matthew moves north up the coast, notes AccuWeather.com's forecasters. But the risk of heavy rain, strong winds and rough seas will continue through the weekend.

There's at least a chance of tropical storm-force winds and rain for the Mid-Atlantic and New England coast, with significant threats even if the storm stays far offshore, according to The Weather Channel.

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Nicole has officially become the 14th named storm of the 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season. 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 busy week in the Atlantic comes during 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.”

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

• 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season’s Peak is Now
• 2016 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast Released
• 2016 Hurricane Names: Is Yours On the List?

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.

With reporting by Sherri Lonon | Graphics courtesy of NOAA