Deadly Hurricane Matthew Lashes Florida

Hurricane Matthew/NHC Atlantic Twitter

ABC News– South Carolina officials are making another plea for residents to flee the coast as Hurricane Matthew approaches.

Derrec Becker with the state emergency preparedness office said Friday morning people need to evacuate immediately. Becker said dangerous conditions are expected along the East Coast.

Officials are especially worried about the storm surge of water that will flow in from the ocean, driven by strong waves. The storm surge is expected to reach as much as 11 feet anywhere south of Georgetown. A surge of up to 6 feet is possible from Little River south to Georgetown.

A hurricane warning is in effect south of Georgetown. A tropical storm warning is in effect north of Georgetown.

The western edge of Hurricane Matthew’s eyewall is brushing Florida’s coast at Cape Canaveral.

The National Hurricane Center said at 6 a.m. EDT Friday that during the last hour, a wind gust of 100 mph occurred in Cape Canaveral.

The Category 3 storm is centered about 25 miles east of Cape Canaveral and is moving north-northwest at 14 mph.

More than 300,000 in Florida are without power Friday morning.