UPDATE: Hurricane Matthew targets Florida

As Hurricane Matthew churned through the Caribbean Sea yesterday, forecasters with the National Weather Service pushed the tropical storm’s projected path over half of Florida.

The Category 4 tropical cyclone, which is moving north at 8 knots past Haiti with maximum sustained wind speeds of 144 miles per hour, is forecasted to reach Florida some time Thursday.

Earlier: Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency for the entire state of Florida today as Hurricane Matthew moves north through the Caribbean Sea.

Current models don’t show the storm directly impacting the state, but Scott warned that projections could change quickly. The severity of this hurricane, currently a category four, calls for extreme caution, Scott said.

“If Hurricane Matthew directly impacts Florida, there could be massive destruction which we haven’t seen since Hurricane Andrew devastated Miami-Dade County in 1992,” Scott said in a release. “That is why we cannot delay and must prepare for direct impact now.”

If Matthew does make landfall in Florida, models project the storm is likely to directly impact the east coast of the state. Still, the state of emergency was issued for all Florida counties. Although there are no evacuation orders in place, the governor instructed residents to follow instructions from authorities as the hurricane continues to make its way north.

“The best way to prevent further loss is to get prepared now and take this storm seriously,” he said. “Having a plan in place could mean the difference between life and death during severe weather, especially a major category four hurricane.”