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Millions of Americans have been warned that the 'worst effects are still likely to come' in the form of heavy flash floods as Hurricane Matthew moves up the east coast of Florida, bringing with it 100mph winds and storm surges.

At 2pm, Matthew was currently 40 miles east-southeast of St Augustine and 60 southeast of Jacksonville beach, moving up the coast at 12mph with maximum sustained winds of 115mph.

While there are signs that a direct hit with land will be avoided, officials are particularly concerned about low-lying areas in Jacksonville, which could be hit by heavy flooding. A flash flood warning has been issued until 6.15pm.

There are also concerns that heavy Georgia and South Carolina could be hit by heavy flooding, while the hurricane warning has been extended as far as Surf City, North Carolina. The US National Guard has said it expects widespread flooding, rather than wind damage, to be more likely as the storm moves further north.

Some 800,000 households have been left without power, while 22,000 people are in shelters. Gov Rick Scott also said all interstates in Florida would remain open without tolls.

'The storm is only halfway through our state, so we are not through this yet,' he warned. 'We are very concerned about storm surge and the worst effects are still likely to come.'

He added: 'While the storm is still on, don't go outside'.

The storm has claimed more than 840 victims in the Caribbean, while in the US at least one person died.

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Stripped away: Parts of the exterior wall of the oceanfront Hilton Daytona Beach Resort falls off as the eye of Hurricane Matthew passes the area reaching winds of up to 120mph

Stripped: A billboard canvas flaps in the wind in North Palm Beach, Florida, after Category 3 Hurricane Matthew passed off shore with top sustained winds of 120mph

Great time for a beer and a selfie: Brian Johns is hit by a wave as he tries to video the effects of the hurricane in Daytona Beach

Battering: Heavy waves caused by Matthew pound the docks at the Sunset Bar and Grill in Cocoa Beach, about 80 miles south of Daytona Beach

Debris flies through the air as the eye of Hurricane Matthew nears Daytona Beach; there are signs that a direct hit with land will be avoided if the hurricane continues to move in a northerly direction

People have been warned that life-threatening surges could hit the coast; how high the surge is depends on intensity, speed of the storm, size, angle and pressure

No mail today: Heavy waves crash into and destroy the boats docks at the Sunset Bar and Grill on Cocoa Beach

Timber! A lamp post is seen on a sidewalk after Matthew hit Melbourne Florida; fortunately more damage does not seem to have been done around the area 

Hurricane Matthew caused multiple sail boats to become unmoored from Halifax Harbour Marina, Florida, and float three miles down the Halifax River past James Gavin, who caputred the moments a yacht almost capsized and debris flew past another vessel in 100mph winds

A boat is partially submerged in the Halifax River after Matthew caused multiple boats to become unmoored from the harbour marina several miles away

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Water world: Incredible video footage caught the moment that water came crashing straight in from Jacksonville Beach

A woman aged in her late 50s died overnight after she suffered a heart attack not longer after the St Lucie Fire Department stopped responding to emergency calls due to wind gusts. 

In St Augustine, about 20 people, including children, are trapped at a bed and breakfast, although Mayor Nancy Shaver told CNN that they are 'not guests of the inn' and apparently young people who have chosen to stay there.

Gov Scott urged people to 'take care' of themselves.

'I can't send in first responders to save you in the middle of the storm,' he told CBS This Morning. 

'I don't want one life lost. I love my children, my grandchildren and I don't want anything to happen to them. I don't want anything to happen to anybody in this country.' 

President Obama said that despite the fact central and south Florida was not as seriously damaged as feared, Matthew remains a 'dangerous hurricane'.

'The big concern is the effect it could have in areas like Jacksonville and on through Georgia,' he said in the Oval Office. 

Swimming on the speedway: Water covers portions of International Speedway Boulevard in Daytona Beach after serious storm surges hit the area

A motorist drives down a flooded street in St. Augustine, Florida; at 2pm EDT, the storm was 40 miles east-south-east of St Augustine, which appeared set for at least a day of flooding and probably more

Kaleigh Black, 14, left, and Amber Olsen, 12, run for cover as they are pelted with waves at the Cocoa Beach Pier; A man braces himself against the winds as he attempts to walk in the rain in Daytona Beach

A car is submerged in Matthew's flood waters on Port Orange, Florida, just south of Daytona Beach

Staying put: This man, who didn't decide to evacuate, prepares to leave a flooded street in St Augustine

Collapsed: The roof of a gas station that fell off, fortunately with no cars around, in Daytona

Brian Farmer, left, and Jason R. Procell Sr., 47, take photos of the storm damage from a balcony overlooking the courtyard of the Bay Towers apartments in Titusville, Florida, which is sandwich in between Edgewater and Cocoa

Road hazard: A car drives past a downed tree after Matthew created havoc in the Daytona area 

'Many of you will remember Hurricane Sandy where initially people thought this doesn't look as bad as we thought and then suddenly you get massive storm surge and a lot of people were severely affected.

'We're still on the front end of this hurricane, we're not on the backend. So we don't know how bad the damage could end up, we don't know how severe the storm surge could end up being. And we're not going to know for 3, 4, 5 days what the ultimate effects of this are.'

He added that the governors of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas were doing an excellent job keeping on top of the storm's movements.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal urged residents who have evacuated their homes not to risk their lives by going back too soon. 

'There comes a point where we cannot jeopardize the lives of our first responders any further,' he said.

Nikki Haley, South Carolina's governor, issued a warning to 100 or so islanders planning to ride out the storm on Daufuskie Island. 

'If you know anybody that is staying, it is going to be underwater, she said.' I know people will say "oh it'll pass it'll pass. It is getting worse.'

Similarly, about 100 people on Georgia's Tybee Island have decided to ride out the storm, some of them even heading to the local bar. 

Rick Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center, told those in Georgia and South Carolina to evacuate.

'Don't be part of the history of this hurricane that might include a long list of fatalities in the US due to water.' 

On Thursday night, government officials declared a state of emergency in several states in an effort to plan ahead of the deadly Category Three storm.  

A Space Shuttle model stands near some downed trees after Hurricane Matthew passed by the area, October 7, 2016 on Cocoa Beach, Florida

Trees sway from heavy rain and wind from Hurricane Matthew in front of Exploration Tower early on Friday in Cape Canaveral, Florida; Matthew weakened slightly to Category 3 but is expected to remain powerful

Flags blow in the winds of Hurricane Matthew on Cocoa Beach (left), which passed by offshore, while right, palm trees blow in the rain and wind in Ormond Beach some 90 miles away

Palm trees sway from the winds of Hurricane Matthew, October 7, 2016 on Cocoa Beach, Florida. Hurricane Matthew passed by offshore but the area will still be hit by winds of up to 50mph today

Two million people across the Southeast were warned to flee inland as tens of millions along 500 miles of coastline battened down the hatches.

The 'once-in-a-lifetime' storm is the most powerful hurricane to threaten the U.S. Atlantic coast in more than a decade and could be the most catastrophic to hit the north and east of Florida in 118 years. 

'We are just bracing and the winds are picking up,' Daytona Beach Mayor Derrick Henry told CNN early on Friday. 

'A great number of our residents have taken heed to our warnings and we are certainly concerned about those that have not.'

Crashed to earth: The roof of a nearby business lies on a street after the eye of Matthew passed by Daytona

Bombarded: Daytona Beach's Plaza Resort and Spa took a heavy hit, with bits of debris scattered across the front entrance

Braced for flooding: Daytona Beach at 8.30am was being battered as wind began to pick up, with the first signs of damage and debris

Center of the action: Wind beats on awnings and palm trees on the oceanfront as the eye of Hurricane Matthew approaches Daytona Beach, Florida, which is expected to get some of the heaviest wind speeds and gusts

More to come: Awnings from an oceanfront shopping area lie on the ground as the eye of Matthew approaches a deserted Daytona Beach

Bad weather for a convertible: A driver travels under heavy rain and wind in Atlantic Beach; despite people being urged to evacuate, many stayed behind to wait the storm out 

Seminole mobile home park resident Laura Molls inspects her damaged car under a tree in Fort Pierce, Florida

Welcome home: A Seminole mobile home park resident climbs over a uprooted tree in Fort Pierce, Florida after Matthew blew past the area; her home appears to be largely intact 

The clean-up begins: Maricela Carrera cleans up after Matthew passed through the Fort Pierce area in Florida; the hurricane is expected to make landfall sometime this evening

Surveying the damage: Jim Griggs and Marlin Whaley clean up after Matthew blew by their home in Fort Pierce. Aside from some debris in the yard, it looked like their house largely got away unscathed

Clearing the roads: Mike Hunter and Sean Gregwire clear downed trees in Fellsmere, Florida, some 20 miles from Melbourne

Felled: A downed tree from high winds rests against a car in a residential area of Ormond Beach, Florida

As daylight broke on Friday the first sign of Matthew's power were beginning to show in Indian River County where a mandatory evacuation order is in place 

Please stay inside! Indian River Emergency Services pleaded with those who had opted to stay behind to stay indoors so they had the opportunity to clean up downed power lines

Early victim: The Indian River County emergency services tweeted this picture of flooding in Vero Beach; the organization was providing followers with live updates and damage assessment every few minutes

Nice weather for a run? Austin Massett  (left) runs through an area beginning to flood close to St Augustine, Florida; while right, a police officer tries to shielf himself from win as he checks his phone

Batten down the hatches: Waves from Hurricane Matthew batter a boat dock in St Augustine; the storm was downgraded to Category three overnight but is still a fierce one

A sailboat takes on water as she sits on her side in the Indian River in Rockledge, Florida after Matthew skirted the east coast

Surf from the Banana River crashes up on a dock at Sunset Grill in Cocoa Beach, Fla; Officials have warned of dangerous storm surges of more than 10 feet

Winds have gusted as high as 91mph in Daytona Beach, with some damage already being reported. Pictures showed debris strewn across the Daytona Plaza beach resort.

Residents south of the Pineda Causeway using city of Melbourne water have been advised to boil water to be used for drinking, cooking or brushing teeth. 

St Augustine has experienced widespread flooding as the 451-year-old city was battered with waves and storm surge that could top eight feet.

Mayor Nancy Shaver said the flooding 'is just going to get higher and higher and higher'. She added that roughly half of the city's 14,000 residents chose to stay in their homes. 

Brevard County cities thus far however have reported no major structural damage, although power outages are widespread. 

Military troops have been mobilized in Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina.

Thousands of National Guard soldiers and airmen were activated, while navy ships and Air Force aircraft have been evacuated from bases that are likely to be hit to safe spots until they are asked to assist.

Brevard County Fire service has declared it's 'too dangerous' for them to respond to emergency calls as Matthew approaches. Live power lines have been knocked down and everyone has been urged to stay indoors.

Romantic stroll: A couple walk along the Sanford Riverwalk along Lake Monroe as strong winds and rain continue to lash downtown Sanford, Florida; authorities have warned the danger is far from over

Jacksonville holds its breath: The waterfront in downtown Jacksonville is deserted; Officials are particularly worried about some of the lower lying areas in the city which could be susceptible to heavy flooding

Desert town: Just one car can be seen on the roads of Jacksonville, in the north of the state; the city could be particularly badly hit by the hurricane and the storm surges it brings with it

President Barack Obama speaks alongside FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate (L) and Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson (R) about Hurricane Matthew following the Presidential Daily Briefing in the Oval Office

On Thursday, the University of Florida's scheduled football game against LSU was postponed due to the storm.

Despite the dire warnings however, some brave - or stupid - people opted to stay behind, party and even surf as the storm hit US shores.

People across the state held 'Hurricane Parties' at home, while others hit the beach in bikinis. Some Floridians were even seen packed into bars on the beach, in particular Elbo Room in Fort Lauderdale.

And in a surreal turn of events, the 1990s rapper Vanilla Ice, live tweeted his experience from Palm Beach. 

Early on Friday morning, he tweeted: 'It looks like a mess with debris and some flooding here but overall Palm Beach handled it very well. #HurricaneMatthew'.

Meanwhile, in South Carolina, police in Pawleys Island have sent out a waiver form for residents who have refused to evacuate to sign.

The form asks the residents to acknowledge 'I have refused to comply with the evacuation and leave the Island. My next of kin can be reached as follows.'

The only and last Category Four hurricane to make landfall anywhere in northeast Florida or the Georgia coast was in 1898, according to The Weather Channel.  

Lights out, Florida: These two satellite images were taken 24 hours apart, on Thursday and Friday, showing how much power has been knocked out in the state overnight

Hurricane Matthew is seen moving up the east coast of Florida in this infrared image from NOAA's GOES-East satellite taken at 7.45am EDT on Friday

At 1.10pm, the eye wall of the hurricane has moved largely past Daytona Beach and was bearing down on St Augustine and Jacksonville; the areas could be susceptible to heavy flooding

This graphic identifies where the storm surge (rising water moving inland by the force of the wind) is most likely to reach and who is at most at risk; Earlier fears of 11ft surges appear to have subsided but Jacksonville and Savannah was facing 9ft

The number of homes and businesses without power jumped by the hour as the full force of Matthew edged closer to the coast. More than 600,000 were in the dark by early Friday

Windy cities: The wind speed map as of 1pm showed that St Augustine was getting the brunt of the storm, with speeds of 49mph and gusts of 60mph; Even Tampa, on the Gulf coast, was being hit by strong winds

Path of destruction: The coast off Jacksonville should see winds as high as 115mph on Friday evening, with Charleston then facing 100mph on Saturday morning before the hurricane begins to head back out to the Atlantic on Sunday

Path of the storm: By Saturday morning, Matthew should be firmly entrenched in South Carolina, moving slowly up the coast and touching North Carolina through the day; it will hopefully have moved back out to the Atlantic by Sunday morning

Out of this world: The most recent view of Matthew taken from space, courtesy of Nasa. Pictured to its right is the smaller Category Two hurricane Nicole

At the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, NASA no longer has to worry about rolling space shuttles back from the launch pad to the hangar because of hurricanes, since the shuttle fleet is now retired. But the spaceflight company SpaceX was concerned about the storm's effect on its leased seaside pad.

'We are closed Thursday and Friday. Hurricane preparations were completed last night & employees sent home. After storm, teams will assess damage,' the Kennedy Space Center tweeted.

The devastating hurricane had already left more than 570 dead by Friday morning in its wake across the Caribbean as it laid waste to large swathes of coastal Haiti. Hundreds more have now been confirmed dead.

Ed Rappaport, deputy director of the Miami-based National Hurricane Center in Miami, said: 'What we know is that most of the lives lost in hurricanes is due to storm surge.'  .

A fallen power line is pictured (left) along with trees uprooted (right) by the winds, in Indian River County

On Friday early morning, Matthew was about 50 miles east off Cape Canaveral with a gust of 88 mph reported near Satellite Beach at 4:08 am, near Melbourne, Florida (pictured)

Downed: Hurricane Matthew started pelting Florida with heavy rains and tropical force winds early Friday morning. A large tree was uprooted by the strong and powerful winds from the hurricane blocking West Plumosa Lane in Lake Worth Friday

A pedestrian runs across a street as the eyewall of Hurricane Matthew approaches Daytona Beach on Friday

The powerful tropical storm-force winds started whipping trees around in Palm Bay, Florida (above) late Thursday evening, as the 'once-in-a-lifetime' storm made its way to the East Coast

Up to seven million are under threat of losing power as Matthew smashes its way across the Sunshine State.

Forecasters said it could dump up to 15 inches of rain in some spots and cause a storm surge of 11 feet or more. 

President Barack Obama declared a state of emergency for Florida and South Carolina, freeing up federal money and personnel to protect lives and property.

Travel slowly began to resume in parts of Florida on Friday, one day after more than 4,000 flights were canceled and the state's major cruise ports shut down

Travelers in the southern part of the state woke up to good news as airports began to open their doors and flights got back on the departures board.

But operations remained shut in much of the central and northeastern parts of the state as residents continue to wait and see if Matthew will make landfall.

That's the case in Jacksonville, where residents were warned of a 'worst case storm surge scenario'. 

In South Carolina, police sent out a waiver form for residents who have refused to evacuate to sign (pictured).

Hurricane Matthew started hitting the East Coast early Friday morning leaving debris from palm trees and shrubs in the streets as pictured above in Indian River County, Florida

The Tropical Force Winds have already started doing damage, as pictured above in Indian River County in Florida early Friday morning

Amtrak suspended train services between Miami and New York, and cruise lines rerouted ships to avoid the storm, which in some cases will mean more days at sea.

Orlando's world-famous theme parks - Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and SeaWorld - all closed, and remain shut today. It will reopen on Saturday.

Thousands of people hunkered down in schools converted to shelters, and inland hotels in places such as Charlotte, North Carolina, reported brisk business. 

Forecasters said it would then probably hug the coast of Georgia and South Carolina over the weekend before veering out to sea - perhaps even looping back toward Florida in the middle of next week as a tropical storm.

The Weather Channel warned late Thursday that this storm is expected to make 'history' and is 'like no storm in the record books,' as central and north Florida have never been hit by a hurricane this strong.  

Forecasters predict Matthew will bring a dangerous storm surge to some parts of Florida that will be even worse than what happened in New Jersey during Super Storm Sandy in 2012.

Weather forecasters say the eye of the hurricane may never make landfall, however, the eyewall which contains the strongest winds, may do so.  

Many boarded up their homes and businesses and left them to the mercy of the storm.

'We're not going to take any chances on this one,' said Daniel Myras, who struggled to find enough plywood to protect his restaurant, the Cruising Cafe, two blocks from the Daytona Beach boardwalk.

DISNEY WORLD CLOSES DOWN FOR ONLY THE FOURTH TIME IN ITS 45-YEAR HISTORY 

Walt Disney World has shuttered up for the fourth time in its history as Hurricane Matthew bears down on the Sunshine State. 

As the storm approached Florida on Thursday night, the park and several of its entities in Orlando also shut their doors. 

Tragic kingdom: Walt Disney World was a total ghost town on Friday afternoon after it closed for only the fourth time in history - the previous three occasions had all been for hurricanes

Free parking? The car park near Disney's Epcot Center was completely empty; the park is planning to reopen on Saturday

Since the park opened in 1971 it has only closed three other times - all for hurricanes.

Disney closed down in September 1999 for Hurricane Floyd, for Hurricane Frances in September 2004 and again in September 2004 for Hurricane Jeanne, according to CNBC. 

The park was also evacuated within 30 minutes on 9/11 but was not shut down prior. 

The eye of the storm was predicted to be nearing Orlando as of 11am on Friday. 

Guests were also evacuated from several resorts. 

Fort Wilderness Campground, the Polynesian Bungalows, and the Saratoga Springs Treehouse Villas were all evacuated as Hurricane Matthew neared. 

Universal Orlando and SeaWorld also followed Disney's lead and shut down for the evening on Thursday into Friday. 

Disney confirmed on Friday afternoon that it would reopen its parks on Saturday. 

Didn't want to visit anyway: Another tweet from the same user shows lots of bored looking people stuck indoors at the Wilderness Lodge as they wait for the hurricane to blow over

Powerful: Dark clouds were pictured above Disney World in Orlando, Florida on Thursday as Hurricane Matthew made its way towards the East Coast

A policewoman directs a couple to a bus at the Civic Center in Savannah, Georgia, to be evacuated to Augusta, some 130 miles northwest, ahead of the hurricane moving in

A disabled woman and her family board a bus in Savannah, Georgia, to be evacuated to Augusta, some 130 miles northwest as Matthew closes in

Waiting: Greg Lard walks down River Street after checking on his business as Matthew moves closer to Savannah; Michael Whitmore passes by a boarded up Domino's pizza searching for an open store for supplies in St Marys, Georgia

An elderly man rests his head at a shelter for evacuees in a high school hallway before the arrival of Hurricane Matthew in North Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston resident Avis Prioleau holds a bible outside the entrance to a shelter for evacuees in a high school before the arrival of Matthew; The hurricane warning has been extended to North Carolina

Migrating for winter: A photo from the St Augustine Alligator Farm and Zoological Park shows a marabou stork in a restroom (left) while (right) a ring-tailed lemur is the rafters; The zoo moved all of its birds and mammals inside ahead of Matthew

Staying behind: Florida residents were seen in bikinis at the beach just hours before Hurricane Matthew hit in the early hours of Friday morning 

Dozens were seen packed into a beach-front bar in Florida on Thursday afternoon despite warnings to evacuate

NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER WEBSITE CRASHES HOURS BEFORE MATTHEW HITS 

Internet users who tried to log on to the National Hurricane Center's website late Thursday were given an error message like the one above

As anxious Americans sought more information about Matthew that was making its way towards the US mainland, the official government-run website responsible for tracking the fierce storm crashed.

The National Hurricane Center’s site crashed at around midnight eastern standard time late Thursday, even as Hurricane Matthew barrels toward the eastern seaboard.

The site, which is run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, suffered an apparent technical glitch, according to the National Weather Service. 

'Waves will be crashing on roofs. Homes will be destroyed. This is deadly. We have suspended tolls, doubled the amount of shelters and are making sure we keep the roads as clear as possible. There is absolutely no reason not to leave. If you chose to stay and try to ride the storm out, your life is at risk.' 

Police patrolled St. Augustine, Florida, neighborhoods, announcing through a bullhorn that the area is in a mandatory evacuation zone as Hurricane Matthew approached the state Thursday evening.

Dana Harrison, who lives on a barrier island across from Anastasia State Park, said she planned to wait out the storm with an out-of-town friend and her cat.  

Matthew strengthened from a Category Three to a Four Thursday morning as it bears down on the East Coast

In Sandown, New Hampshire on Thursday night, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump warned that the hurricane 'looks like it's a big one and it looks like it's going to be a bad one.'

'Hopefully it takes that right turn,' he said. 

Speaking into a TV camera, he said his investments, friends and employees in southeast Florida could be in for a devastating hit.

'Please know that we are praying for you and everyone in the path,' he said. 'You've got to take care of yourself, you've got to get out of the area. You've got to listen. You've got a great governor ... it could be a really bad one.'

Mr Trump also pledged that people in the devastated country of Haiti wouldn't be left to recover on their own following the deaths of almost 900 people.

'To the folks in Haiti and all over, we're going to be helping you ... we send our best wishes and prayers.' 

A national state of emergency was declared in Florida on Thursday after calls from Scott,  which grants resources from the federal government such as food, water and tarps.

President Obama warned: 'I want to emphasize to the public - this is a serious storm. If there is an evacuation order in your community, you need to take it seriously.'

'Just remember that you can always rebuild,' he added. 'You can always repair property. You cannot restore a life if it is lost and we want to make sure that we minimize any possible loss of life or risk to people in these areas.

Matthew is expected to eventually head back into the Atlantic after making its way up past the East Coast but there are fears it could collide with Nicole, another hurricane forming 345 miles south of Bermuda. By late Thursday evening, Nicole had become a Category Two hurricane.  

Next: A crew member of the tall ship Peacemaker past boarded up buildings as Hurricane Matthew begins to hit the area on Friday, in Saint Marys, Georgia

What hurricane? Surfers pass a pier on Friday at the Isle of Palms, SC; South Carolina residents have been warned repeatedly  by Gov Nikki Haley to evacuate

A resident walks past a wall of sandbags protecting a store in one of the city's low-lying areas before the arrival of Hurricane Matthew, in Charleston, South Carolina

If the storms get in each other's path, experts fear it could create the Fujiwara effect, named after Japanese meteorologist Sakarei Fujiwara, which occurs when two tropical cyclones are less than 900 miles apart. It could cause one storm to be consumed by another or both to rotate cyclonically about each other.

Some models see Matthew doing a U-turn and head back to Florida for a devastating double hit.

Gov. Rick Scott announced that he has authorized another 1,000 National Guards after he activated 2,500 on Thursday to help with the evacuations across the state - and the aftermath of the hurricane. Another 4,000 available if needed, Scott said.

'We are going to get ready, but this is going to be catastrophic,' he warned. 'If you need to evacuate and you haven't, evacuate. Time is running out.' 

The storm could have devastating consequences for Florida residents, many of whom have fled their homes with no idea of what state they will be in when they return.

Rosa Linda Román and her family are terrified after pouring their dreams into their new home: a boat docked in West Palm Beach, Florida. 

'The boat is in direct path of the hurricane at this point. If it hits as the model predicts, we will not have a home anymore,' Román said. 

The National Weather Service also warned that the hurricane could cause the 'complete destruction of mobile homes' adding that certain areas could be rendered 'uninhabitable for weeks of months'.  

Some 3,000 people checked into shelters across Florida as residents were urged to evacuate their homes. 

In preparation, residents flocked to hardware stores, grocery stores and gas stations, stripping them of vital supplies. 

The evacuation has turned some popular coastal areas into desolate ghost towns.

Daytona Beach, which is normally a bustling Florida resort - even in October - was eerily quiet after home and businesses owners bordered up their properties and left town.

In South Florida, lines at grocery stores were heavier than usual and some essentials were in short supply.

When Simone Corrado and her husband tried to buy water at their Publix in Davie near Fort Lauderdale, they mostly found empty shelves.

There were a few bottles of high-end water brands, but there was so much empty shelf space that Corrado lay down and fully stretched out on the bottom shelf.

'I got scared because all that was left at Publix was just the pricey water,' said Corrado, who lived through 1992's catastrophic Hurricane Andrew, which practically leveled the nearby city of Homestead.

'They really put the fear into you here. On the television screen every few minutes is the 'beep, beep, beep' storm alert.' 

Dane Vaala, a diesel mechanic, was loading plywood onto his pickup. He needed it so he could stand on his awning to install upper floor shutters at his home.

He moved to Florida from Montana in 2007, so Matthew would be his first storm. He had loaded up on canned food and water.

'I'm not too concerned — it doesn't really bother me much,' he said. 'But it is better to prep.' 

City officials in Charleston, which weathered Category Four Hurricane Hugo almost 30 years ago, warned the city had run out of sandbags after distributing more than for any other storm. The city has distributed more than 15,000 sandbags.

A motorist in South Carolina's Berkeley County was shot and killed by deputies during an altercation over an evacuation route. 

Lucas M. Felkel of Moncks Corner, 35, came to a check point, knocked down some traffic cones and sped off. Sheriff Duane Lewis said when deputies caught up with the driver a few miles away he pointed a gun at them and started shooting. 

Devastating Hurricane kills at least 840 in the Caribbean - with the Haiti death toll expected to rise into the thousands 

Hurricane Matthew's death toll in the Caribbean has climbed to nearly 900 people, mostly in Haiti.

That number is expected to go up once communication is established with remote parts of the island.

Days after Hurricane Matthew moved away from Haiti, the number of people killed continues to rise in the hundreds as villages are reached by aid and rescue workers for the first time since the storm hit.

Total devastation: An aerial view taken by the UN Mission in Haiti over the town of Jeremie, which lies on the western tip and suffered the full force of the storm

Nothing left: A picture from the UN Mission in Haiti taken in Jeremie shows shell-shocked people walking through a flooded street after their town was battered by Matthew

Meanwhile in Haiti: Atanase Constant stands in the ruins of his home destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in Les Cayes, Haiti

Authorities and aid workers still lack a clear picture of what they fear is the country's biggest disaster in years.

As of Friday morning it is believed at least 842 people have died in Haiti, according to a Reuters count, but government leaders said the final tally could be in the thousands.    

The southwest peninsula lacked reliable communication systems on Friday and could not contact authorities for an official death toll.

A United Nations official said Hurricane Matthew has caused the biggest humanitarian crisis in Haiti since the devastating earthquake of 2010. 

The central government's official death toll stood at 283 on Friday.

A statue's head lays in the rubble of the Saint Anne church destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in Camp Perrin, a district of Les Cayes, Haiti; At least 478 people have been killed in Haiti

Saintanor Dutervil stands with his wife in the ruins of their home destroyed by Matthew in Les Cayes; A United Nations official said Hurricane Matthew has caused the biggest humanitarian crisis in Haiti since the devastating earthquake of 2010

People sit in front of destroyed houses after Hurricane Matthew passes Jeremie, Haiti; Officials have warned that the death toll could stretch into the thousands

However, authorities doing work the on-ground assessment in the remote corners of the southwestern peninsula said it would likely be significantly higher when the full accounting was complete.

Saint-Victor Jeune, an official with the Civil Protection agency working in Beaumont, in the mountains on the outskirts of hard-hit Jeremie, said his team had found 82 bodies that had not been recorded by authorities in the capital. 

This is due to the poor communication systems following the storm. 

A girl lugs buckets of drinking water after the passing of Hurricane Matthew in Les Cayes; With a key bridge washed out, roads impassable and phone communications down, the western tip of Haiti was isolated and there was no word on dead

People stand in an area affected by Hurricane Matthew in Cavaillon; International aid efforts were stymied Tuesday because of the lack of access to the hardest-hit areas

Saint Anne church lays totally destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in Camp Perrin, a district of Les Cayes, Haiti

Electronic devices covered in mud stand outside an office destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in Les Cayes

Officials were especially concerned about the department of Grand-Anse on the northern tip of the peninsula, where they believe the death toll and damage is highest. 

The 283 deaths reported by aid workers did not include Grand-Anse or its surrounding areas. 

At least 89 more are missing, in the Grand-Anse region in southern Haiti.

'We don't have any contact with Port-au-Prince yet and there are places we still haven't reached,' Jeune said. 

At least three towns reported dozens of fatalities, including the inland community of Chantal, whose deputy mayor said 90 people perished, without giving details. 

People search for belongings in the devastation caused by hurricane Matthew in Baracia, Cuba

People collect water after hurricane Matthew hit the area, in Baracia, Cuba; Cuba, however, unlike Haiti, appears to have escaped relatively unscathed when it comes to death toll

Residents stand near a church that had its roof ripped away by Hurricane Matthew in Les Cayes, Haiti, Thursday, as the repair effort continues

Piles of personal items are set out to dry as homeowners cull through the debris of their homes destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in Les Cayes

Coastal town Les Anglais lost 'several dozen' people, the central government representative in the region, Louis-Paul Raphael said.

Les Anglais was the first place in Haiti that Matthew reached, as a powerful Category 4 storm before it moved north, lost strength and lashed central Florida on Friday.

Hours before the hurricane landed in Haiti, Les Anglais' mayor said residents were fleeing for their lives as the ocean rushed into their homes.  

Most of the dead appeared to have been killed by falling debris from the winds that tore through the area at 145 mph on Tuesday.

More than 430,000 were evacuated from the island, the poorest region in the Western Hemisphere, ahead of the hurricane. 

At least 61,500 people are in shelters in Haiti after they were forced from their homes and communication systems were taken out by the powerful storm.

Ruins: Lawyer Jorge Luiz Azanes, 52, sits in his damaged house after the passage of Hurricane Matthew in Baracoa, Cuba

Husks of what they once were: Damaged houses are seen after the passage of Matthew in Baracoa

The congregation of the now destroyed United Fellowship Outreach Ministries International hold an impromptu prayer service in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew in Nassau, Bahamas

Deputy Special Representative for Haiti Mourad Wahba said officials have received reports of destroyed houses and overflowing hospitals, with shortages fresh water. He also says the hospital in the city of Les Cayes had its roof blown off.

But with a key bridge washed out, roads impassable and phone communications down, the western tip of Haiti was isolated and there was no word on dead and injured.

New aerial footage has illustrated some of the mass devastation, showing villages that have been leveled by 145 mph winds, with wreckage and misery everywhere.  

In addition, at least four people were killed in the Dominican Republic. 

In Cuba, residents were seen walking through the rubble strewn streets, and digging through the remains of broken buildings trying to recover their belongings. 

It is unclear if anyone was killed during the storm in Cuba. 

More than 30 homes were washed away in the Island's northeastern region but as of Thursday night none were reported dead.  

No injuries have been reported in the Bahamas, but homes have been destroyed by the rising water and winds and roads were still impassable as of Friday.