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Hurricane Matthew thundered towards Georgia and South Carolina on Friday night, battering their coastline with 7ft waves and 100mph winds.

Six people have died in the US since the storm took hold in southern Florida in the early hours of Friday morning.

It traveled to Georgia on Friday evening, thrashing the state's coastal cities with rain and pummeling waves before making its way towards South Carolina in the early hours of the morning.  

At around 2am, it was 44 miles south of Hilton Head in South Carolina. More than 120,000 are without power in Georgia with the worst of the storm yet to hit. Tornado warnings have also been issued.

All flights to and from Savannah have been canceled, with the airport shutting its doors at midnight on Friday. Charleston airport closed even earlier, at around 1pm, and will remain closed until Saturday. 

More than 800 people have been killed in Haiti, the worst hit place, where 350,000 are still in need of urgent humanitarian aid. 

In Florida, entire towns were underwater and more than 1million without power as the scale of Matthew's destruction became clear on Friday night.

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Towering waves crashed over the seawall in Charleston, South Carolina, late on Friday night as Hurricane Matthew made its way further up the east coast 

Water gushed into the town hours after authorities warned flash floods and huge surges could bring devastation to the area 

Here it comes! Above, a man attempts to make his way to safety in Savannah, Georgia, which due to be worst affected overnight

No escaping it now: At around 9pm, the hurricane was around 80 miles east off of St Simons Island (above) where trees had already felled due to its winds 

Storm water flooded the streets of Charleston in South Carolina on Friday night as the hurricane made its way up the east coast 

Closing in: At 11pm on Friday the storm was 45 miles south of Hilton Head in South Carolina. Irt had moved its way up the coast of Georgia after battering the east coast of Florida

Some 23,000 people are in shelters across the state where surges and flash floods are likely to leave yet more devastation. 

Hundreds have flocked to shelters in Georgia and South Carolina in anticipation of the storm.  

Governor Rick Scott warned on Friday evening that the worst devastation would come after the hurricane had passed, with waves as tall as 9ft predicted in some of the worst hit areas of Florida. 

Florida's Governor Rick Scott said on Friday evening: 'Let's remember this storm has not passed. There is no victory lap. It's still in our state. '

'Hopefully the storm is going to finish with us tonight but we have to be cautious. We worked hard to be prepared, now let's be cautious.'  

Storm surges in coastal Georgia and South Carolina could reach up to nine feet, bringing with it some 15 inches of rain. Hurricane warnings are in effect up as far as Wilmington, North Carolina.  Six coastal counties in Georgia were evacuated earlier in the week. 

ABC meteroologist Daniel Manzo said: 'We expect the center of Hurricane Matthew to come very close to Charleston near daybreak this morning with life threatening storm surge and major flash flooding along the southeast coastline from Georgia to North Carolina.' 

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

An 82-year-old man who was unconscious and having difficult breathing also died after someone drove him to the hospital. Emergency services were unable to respond, according to the Palm Beach Post. 

A third person died in Volusia County, when a tree fell on her while she was feeding animals outside her home, according to WFTV. 

Local residents Michael and Tori Munton make their way through the flooded streets of downtown historic Saint Marys, Georgia, as the state and the Carolinas were preparing for the worst on Friday 

A man runs through the street to safety as the storm approaches Saint Marys, Georgia on Friday 

In Brunswick, Georgia, a hardware store owner placed sandbags at her door as flood water slowly began tricking into the streets

On St Simon's Island, residents filmed flood water rushing through streets and surrounding houses on Friday afternoon 

St Simons Island, which was one of the first places to be affected in Georgia, saw debris brought across its roads 

Keith Paseur and Pat Barlow in Brunswick, Georgia, made sure to document the scene before the worst of the storm set in

A man struggles with his umbrella as he boldly goes walking on the beach on Tybee Island which some residents refused to evacuate 

Rising waves did not put one thrill-seeker off at the Isle of Palms in South Carolina on Friday afternoon. The worst of the weather set in 

Children played on the beach in the Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on Friday despite grave warnings about the hurricane throughout the state 

Quite the entrance: Denisha Garrett is 40 weeks pregnant and due to give birth to her son any minute. She sought safety in a shelter in Charleston, South Carolina, on Friday and plans to name her baby after the hurricane if he arrives during it

In Brunswick,  Georgia, Trey Tait grills chicken under a generator for his wife Debbie as they watched over their hardware store 

Tough conditions: A cyclist in Charleston grimaced as he faced the battering rain and wind on Friday night 

Around 100 reluctant islanders on Tybee Island, Georgia, refused to leave despite being told they risked death by staying 

Pleas from lawmakers and emergency service workers to leave the island went unanswered by some who call it home 

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

An elderly couple were found unconscious by their neighbor after passing out from carbon monoxide poisoning thought to have been emitted by the generator they were using. They died in hospital late on Friday night, bringing the US death toll to six. 

'This is a tragic reminder not to run generators inside the home, garage, or under soffits. Place generators as far away as possible from the home due to dangers caused by carbon monoxide. Also remember, do not add gasoline when the generator is running,' St Lucie County Fire District said on Friday.  

Nikki Haley, South Carolina's governor, issued a warning to 100 or so people on the tiny Daufuskie Island who planned to ride out the storm to escape now or risk death.  

'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.

'If you're hoping it's is just going to pass far enough offshore that this isn't a problem anymore — that is a very, very big mistake that you could make that could cost you your life. 

The worst of the storm was expected to strike South Carolina at around 1am, making its way to North Carolina on Saturday evening. It will then tail off and head back down on itself towards the Caribbean however will have a fraction of the strength

St Augustine was one of the worst affected cities of Florida, with much of the town submerged in flood water by Friday afternoon

Devastated: Nick Lomasney walks through heavy wind and a flooded street in St Augustine on Friday 

Stuck: Another motorist checks on his car in St Augustine, the worst affected area for floods 

Staying afloat: One pick-up truck was able to make its way through the floods in St Augustine while other cars and vans remained abandoned on the side of the road 

Residents of St Augustine struggled through the water on Friday afternoon after the worst of the hurricane past the town

Power surge: An incredible video caught from a high-rise by Jacksonville Pier showed the moment coastal water simply proved too much and burst through into the town. Jacksonville, in north east Florida, was also severely affected 

Waves rushed over the seawall in St Augustine on Friday as tides powered in to the town 

In Titusville, Florida, a sunken boat sits between two sturdier vessels which weathered the rising tides 

Ruined: Sections of boardwalk and road were obliterated by the storm in Flagler Beach, Florida 

Not so warm a welcome: A bridge was almost completely submerged by rising river water in St Augustine on Friday 

Battering ram: Wind and water from Matthew hits downtown St Augustine; although the hurricane has now been downgraded to a Category 2, it still has inflicted significant damage

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

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

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

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

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

Flooding will cause more damage across Florida as the full scale of the devastation becomes clear. Above, a motorist drives through a flooded street in St Augustine, one of the worst-hit areas 

Traffic lets fell to the ground in Jacksonville, Florida, as the town was battered  by wind and rain. It did not stop some people from taking to the roads 

Workers cleared a giant oak tree from  road in Orlando, Florida, as the clear-up mission got underway 

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

As the storm passed over south Florida, officials celebrated not losing more than one life to the storm. 'It looks like we dodged a bullet,' Rep. Patrick Murphy of Martin County, which stops just south of St Lucie, said. 

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 on Friday. 

Matthew hit Jacksonville at around 8pm on Friday night, bringing hurricane winds of 100mph to the town. A Burger King sign fell on to the road after being brought down by the winds 

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

A sunken boat in Titusville, Florida, didn't withstand the crashing waves and rising tides as Matthew battered the town 

In Eustis, Florida, residents tried to lift spirits by throwing a 'Hurricane Party' inside a bar 

'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. 

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. 

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

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

Damaged facade: The bell tower at the Plaza hotel suffered significant damage, with chunks of it falling to the ground

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

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

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

In Ormond Beach, Florida, Joe Lovece assesses the damage to his kitchen after the storm 

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 

Batten down the hatches: Waves from Hurricane Matthew batter a boat dock in St Augustine; the storm was downgraded to a category 3 on Thursday and then to category 2 on Friday afternoon 

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

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

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

Residents began flocking to gas stations across Florida on Friday as Governor Rick Scott revealed the state had just five days worth of fuel if no ports were open in the coming days. Above, motorists fill up in Jacksonville, one of the worst hit areas 

Winds 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 were 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 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 despite the expected damage. 

'There are houses that will probably not ever be the same again or not even be there,' she said.  

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

Military troops were 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 declared it was 'too dangerous' for them to respond to emergency calls as Matthew approached overnight on Thursday. 

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 Friday Gov. Rick Scott met with residents as they waited to return to their homes. More than 20,000 people are in shelters across the state 

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'.

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

The form asked 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.

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. 

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.'  .

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

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

The Weather Channel warned late Thursday that this storm is expected to make 'history' and is 'like no storm in the record books.'  

A man wades through knee-deep water in St Augustine, Florida, on Friday as the worst of the storm battered the town 

Waves pummeled piers and boardwalks across the southeastern Florida coast on Friday as winds reached 100mph 

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

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.  

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. 

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.' 

There were fears the storm may collide with another brewing further east over the Atlantic.  

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

Adam Selent, left, Dylan Hellberg, center, and Alec Selent, right, watch waves crash over an erosion control retainer wall at the Ocean Club condominiums in the Wild Dunes resort at the Isle of Palms, 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. It is likely the storm will decrease in strength by the time it heads back down towards southern Florida and the Caribbean next week. 

More than 2,000 were enlisted 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 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'.  

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

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.  

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.  

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.

More than 350,000 people are in urgent need of humanitarian assistance, the UN said on Friday as it gained a grave picture of the devastation.

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

Roofs were ripped off buildings in Jeremie, Haiti (above) and debris left littered in the street as residents try to begin cleaning up after 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.

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

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 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

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.

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

A KFC tower toppled outside one of its restaurants in Nassau, Bahamas, during the violent storm

A woman crawls under a fallen tree in Nassau, Bahamas, after the storm passed. No injuries were reported in the area 

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.

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.

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 where homes were destroyed by rising water and winds.