06 Oct Hurricane Matthew bears down the Bahamas, heads to Florida

Updated with Live Video feed (Oct 7)

Hurricane Matthew is strengthening after crossing over the Bahamas a few hours ago and yesterday through Haiti with wind speeds up to 145 mph (233 km/h), where it left a trail of destruction, floods and nearly 100 casualties. Video below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4EiQ3WIDac

NASA states “Matthew is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale”, with “some additional strengthening” to be possible while it approaches the Florida coast. NASA has

Hurricane Matthew – Satellite Image (October 5 2016)

The size of the hurricane is well visible in the satellite images available through zoom.earth, compared to Florida and Cuba (top left and left, respectively). Video captured from the International Space Station was also made available:

“Cameras outside the International Space Station captured dramatic views of major Hurricane Matthew Oct. 3 as the orbital complex flew 250 miles over the storm at 4:15 p.m. EDT. Packing winds of 140 miles an hour as a Category 4 hurricane, Matthew was expected to pass over western Haiti and eastern Cuba Oct. 4 before charging north over the Bahamas Oct. 5 and potentially threatening the east coast of the United States later in the week.” – NASA Youtube Channel

The Kennedy Space Center, located near Cape Canaveral, Florida, is closed since yesterday (Oct. 5), in preparation for the full-force hit of the storm early morning.

Reports claim that Matthew could intensify into a Category 5 hurricane before making landfall in Florida, with sustained winds of 157 mph (253 km/h).

Update Oct. 7:

While the number of casualties in Haiti keeps soaring, reaching over 300 dead, the hurricane has maintained a category 3 status, though it will still be devastating if it nears land with such power, comparable to Katrina.

Here’s the Facebook Live from WFTV:

On the satellite image below, showing the most part of the United States, you can see the immense size of this hurricane’s storm eye now over Florida:

Hurricane Matthew – Satellite Image (October 5 2016)