Florida Battens Down The Hatches As Hurricane Matthew Closes In

DAYTONA BEACH, United States, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 06th Oct, 2016 ) - The sun was shining in Florida on Wednesday, but all the talk was about Matthew, a monster hurricane roaring north from the Bahamas that threatens to pummel the coast with winds of 120 miles (195 kilometers) per hour.

As residents of a subtropical state, Floridians know what to do with a storm barreling in. Authorities acted in haste, opening shelters for people and pets, distributing free sand bags, and suspending toll charges on the highways.

On Wednesday morning, residents of Volusia County in central Florida received the formal warning on their mobile devices, a haunting and urgent message that a hurricane was on the way.

"I cannot emphasize it enough that everyone in our state must prepare now for a direct hit," said Florida Governor Rick Scott, as evacuation orders were issued -- some voluntary, some mandatory -- across different parts of the state.

The storm is expected to hit Florida's east coast on Thursday night as a Category 3 or 4 -- a major hurricane in either case. Beaches sat empty, theme parks were on high alert, and schools and universities closed for the rest of the week, with gas station lines starting to form as some residents prepared to head west.