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Associated PressOctober 6, 2016

Voldemort couldn’t stop Harry Potter, but Matthew did. Three of the world’s most popular tourist attractions, Universal Studios (home to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter), Walt Disney World and SeaWorld all made a rare decision to close their theme parks Thursday ahead of Hurricane Matthew’s arrival. Soggy tourists rushed to cram in a few […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 6, 2016

Last updated: 5:45 p.m. When it comes to hurricanes, Jacksonville has had a lot of dry runs, false alarms, and close calls. Hurricane Matthew is different. NOAA said as much in its noon Thursday update: “A major hurricane has not impacted this area in 118 years, since Oct. 2 1898. There is NO local living memory […]

Associated PressOctober 6, 2016

The Clinton campaign is calling on Florida officials to extend voter registration deadlines because of Hurricane Matthew. Voters in the state must register by Tuesday to be eligible to vote in the November election. Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook said: “We would hope a little bit more time would be given.” Mook said the campaign […]

Staff ReportsOctober 6, 2016

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Thursday called on Florida facilities that provide monkeys for animal research labs to prevent escapes as Hurricane Matthew approaches. PETA focused its concern on monkey farms in Hendry County, in the middle of the state south of Lake Okeechobee. “Thousands of monkeys are warehoused at these laboratories, and PETA’s investigation … revealed […]

A.G. GancarskiOctober 6, 2016

On Thursday afternoon, President Barack Obama signed an Emergency Declaration stating “an emergency exists in the State of Florida and [ordered] federal aid to supplement state, tribal, and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Matthew beginning on Oct. 3, 2016, and continuing.” This ensures federal action and oversight: as the media […]

Joe HendersonOctober 6, 2016

Although Hurricane Matthew is not projected to strike Hillsborough County, public school classes are canceled for Friday so multiple buildings can be used to shelter evacuees from other areas. Designated evacuation centers include Brandon, Strawberry Crest, and Riverview high schools; along with Summerfield Crossing Elementary in Riverview; Pizzo Elementary near the University of South Florida, […]

Associated PressOctober 6, 2016

Like thousands of other Americans, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton scrambled their plans Thursday in Florida, where Hurricane Matthew threatened to wreak havoc on efforts to comb the state for votes in the campaign’s final stretch. The ferocious storm barreling toward the coast, the Clinton campaign moved staff and out-of-state volunteers working on the east […]

Associated PressOctober 6, 2016

Airlines are canceling hundreds of flights as Hurricane Matthew pelts the Florida coast with high winds and heavy rain. The Fort Lauderdale airport shut down on Thursday morning, and farther north the Orlando airport expected to do the same by nighttime. Before 2 p.m. Eastern time, flight-tracking service FlightAware.com reported that 1,500 Thursday flights within […]

Associated PressOctober 6, 2016

One problem with stocking up ahead of a hurricane is you never know exactly what you’ll need. Will the storm take out your power, your water – and for how long? “It’s a little scary only because the meteorologists can’t really predict exactly what’s going to happen,” Natalie Elizur, 25, said while joining lines of […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterOctober 6, 2016

Gov. Rick Scott has a message for Floridians: “Evacuate, evacuate, evacuate.” “Don’t take a chance,” the governor said during a Hurricane Matthew briefing in St. Johns County on Thursday afternoon. “Time is running out. There are no excuses not to evacuate.” The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Hurricane Matthew has strengthened to a catastrophic […]

Tag: Hurricane Matthew

For tourists, storm is Hurricane Who Shall Not Be Named

Jacksonville preps for ‘catastrophic 100-year storm’ ; National Guard en route

Hillary Clinton looks to extend voter registration in Florida due to Matthew

PETA calls on Florida monkey farms to batten down

President activates FEMA, issues Emergency Declaration for Florida

Hillsborough schools cancel classes to be shelters for Matthew evacuees

Can’t compete with Matthew: Candidates cut Florida campaigns

Matthew forces airlines to cancel hundreds of flights in Florida

Last-minute shoppers buy cups, icepacks ahead of hurricane

Rick Scott’s message as Hurricane Matthew nears: ‘Evacuate, evacuate, evacuate’