U.S.: Hurricane Matthew weakens, but southern states still on alert
The southern coast of Florida was not as badly hit by Hurricane Matthew as expected early today, as the storm was downgraded to Category 3 ahead of its expected arrival in Georgia.
In an 11am EDT update, the National Hurricane Service (NHS) reported the western eyewall of the still "dangerous" hurricane was brushing northeastern portions of the Florida coast.
Winds reached 100mph as it hit the coast, leaving 8% of the state without electricity, but conditions were calm enough for PortMiami and Port Everglades to reopen with normal operations.
An earlier photo of the hurricane from the International Space Station.
At the time of writing, the Florida Government reported most of the state's airports were open, with Orlando International Airport and Fort Lauderdale Hollywood Airport as notable exceptions.
President Barack Obama's declaration of a state of emergency remains in place for the southern states of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
In an industry alert, the Georgia Department of Agriculture issued a warning about the potential impacts to the state's food industry.
"Hurricane Matthew has the potential to be the strongest storm to impact the Georgia coastline in over 100 years," the department said.
"Governor Nathan Deal has declared a State of Emergency for 30 coastal counties and ordered Mandatory Evacuation of Georgia’s coastal area east of I-95.
The department anticipated storm surges of 7-11ft, with resulting flooding set to cause extensive damage along the coast including food facility flooding and structural damages, power and water interruptions at food facilities, and an estimated 5-6 million people affected by power outages in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
"Industry sectors most likely to be impacted include commercial facilities, communications, emergency services, energy, healthcare and public health, and transportation," the department said.
"Additionally, airport closures and damage to agriculture crops and farms could have national impacts."
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