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Phil AmmannOctober 7, 2016

Florida power companies are prepared for Hurricane Matthew, which is already causing significant power outages throughout the state. But the storm, a Category 3 as of this writing, also represents a test — whether North Florida’s energy infrastructure can handle powerful winds and the resulting storm surge flooding. While utilities throughout the Southeastern U.S. have […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 7, 2016

11 a.m. update: The city of Jacksonville sent an email saying the worst is yet to come. “Hurricane conditions are expected in 3-6 hours,” while water levels look poised to peak at “1-2 p.m. and 1-2 a.m. tonight.” Two bridges are closed, the Dames Point Bridge and Atlantic Boulevard Intracoastal Waterway Bridge. The Fuller-Warren is still open, for […]

Scott PowersOctober 7, 2016

More than a half-million customers statewide including most in Brevard and Volusia counties have lost power due to Hurricane Matthew, the office of Gov. Rick Scott reported Friday morning. The hardest hit areas, as expected, are the coastal counties from Martin through Flagler, with more power outages expected in coming hours as Matthew lurches northward toward Jacksonville. […]

Jim RosicaOctober 7, 2016

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All eyes are now on Jacksonville as Hurricane Matthew creeps its way up Florida’s Atlantic coast, Gov. Rick Scott said Friday morning. “This is still a 120 mph storm, and we are very concerned about storm surge,” Scott said during a briefing at the state’s Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee. He was surrounded by state Division of Emergency […]

Associated PressOctober 7, 2016

Hurricane Matthew scraped Florida’s Atlantic coast early Friday, toppling trees onto homes and knocking out power to a half-million people but sparing some of the most heavily populated stretches of shoreline the catastrophic blow many had feared. Authorities warned that the danger was far from over, with hundreds of miles of coastline in Florida, Georgia […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 7, 2016

WJXT-TV anchor Tom Wills got deeply emotional on a Thursday telecast regarding the need to evacuate Jacksonville’s beaches during Hurricane Matthew. He got so emotional, in fact, that he got coverage statewide. The Tampa Bay Times‘ “Buzz” picked up on Wills comparing impacts from the storm to Hurricanes Katrina and Hugo, in an emotional plea Thursday afternoon that […]

Joe HendersonOctober 7, 2016

It seemed like Gov. Rick Scott was everywhere in the days and hours leading up to the impact on our state by Hurricane Matthew. His face was on nearly every news show, local and national, warning the people of Florida “this storm will kill you.” He pleaded, “If instructed to evacuate, don’t wait. You can […]

Peter SchorschOctober 7, 2016

In the greater Tampa Bay area, we’re the lucky ones just now. Hurricane Matthew is churning north, bearing down on Florida’s eastern flank, threatening the coasts with their charming names: Gold, Treasure, Space, First … now suddenly sounding like the beaches of Normandy — Utah, Omaha, Juno, Gold, and Sword. So much likely destruction, so […]

Associated PressOctober 6, 2016

In what might eventually be more a psychological blow than a meteorological one, there’s a decent chance that Hurricane Matthew could loop back full circle for a second, unwelcome visit to South Florida next week. If so, what arrives Tuesday would just be a weakened remnant of the monster storm that’s about to rake the […]

Scott PowersOctober 6, 2016

Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs has ordered a countywide curfew starting tonight and running through Saturday morning, and Sheriff Jerry Demings said his patrols will be making sure only essential emergency drivers are on the roads. The curfew will run from 10 p.m. Thursday through 7 a.m. Saturday. Earlier, Seminole County declared a curfew running […]

Tag: Hurricane Matthew

Hurricane Matthew represents a major test for Florida utilities

Lenny Curry: ‘Hunker down’ as Hurricane Matthew moves north

More than half of Brevard, Volusia residents without power due to Hurricane Matthew

Concerns over hurricane now turn to Jacksonville, Rick Scott says

Hurricane Matthew spares South Florida, pushes north

Jacksonville anchor’s emotive plea for storm evacuation gets statewide traction

Joe Henderson: Rick Scott again passes the ‘hurricane test’

Tom Jackson: Let’s be careful out there, even on Matthew’s ‘safe’ side

Matthew may return later to Florida in ‘funky loop’ dance

Teresa Jacobs declares curfew for Orange County