Mayor Lenny Curry held a news conference Wednesday at the Emergency Operations Center in Jacksonville.
11:30 a.m. Curry: "JEA is prepared and in communication with independent contractors. If you’re in an evacuation zone, think about your life and your family and move."
11:45 a.m. National Weather Service in Jacksonville: Looking for magnitudes of up to 6 to 9 feet, peak of wind and surge will be tomorrow afternoon. "This Is A Life Threatening Storm Surge."
11:45 a.m. Curry: "A storm of this magnitude hasn't hit in over a hundred years. I would encourage people to go to shelters if they don't have some where else to evacuate."
National Weather Service meteorologist Angie Enyedi said Friday afternoon winds in the area are expected to reach 100 mph on shore with gusts up to 130 mph east of intracoastal waterway.
Enyedi also said forecasters expect "life-threatening" storm surge, which is a rise in sea level, that will even affect more inland areas.
"The values we're expecting along the coast are coming up to 6 to 9 feet. The peak of that would be tomorrow afternoon, Friday afternoon, into Friday night. As well as coming down the St. Johns River. We're looking for magnitudes upwards of 6 to 9 feet even in the downtown area," Enyedi said.
Curry said go to a shelter if you don't have friends and family in area and you are in the evacuation zone.
STORM UPDATE
At 11 a.m., the eye of Hurricane Matthew was located 180 miles southeast of West Palm Beach.
On the forecast track, Matthew should cross the northwestern Bahamas later today and move close to or over the east coast of the Florida peninsula through Friday night.
Maximum sustained winds are near 140 mph. Matthew is now a Category 4 hurricane. Some additional strengthening is possible, and Matthew should remain a Category 4 hurricane while it approaches the Florida coast.