Skull shaped hurricane eyes off Florida
As if hurricanes weren't terrifying enough, new NASA satellite images show the Florida bound Hurricane Matthew is now shaped like a grinning skull.
East coast residents in the US have been urged to batten down the hatches as new satellite images put Florida in the direct sights of Hurricane Matthew.
"Everyone in our state must prepare now for a direct hit," Florida Governor Rick Scott said at a news conference in Tallahassee.
"If Matthew directly impacts Florida, the destruction could be catastrophic and you need to be prepared."
Described as the fiercest Caribbean storm in a decade, torrential rains and 230-kilometre winds have already battered Haiti and Cuba, claiming at least 26 lives.
The impoverished Haiti is still recovering from the devastating 2010 earthquake that claimed more than 200,000 lives. Tens of thousands of locals are still living in tents as they try and rebuild their communities.
Americans across the southern and eastern coastlines that have not fled to higher ground, cleared out supermarket shelves, boarded up local businesses in anticipation for the category four hurricane.
Many anxious Floridians attempted that to flee via vehicle were left high and dry when countless petrol stations posted “out of gas” signs.
Lynn Pagliaro, 76, was filling up extra cans of petrol and loading them into his SUV in Charleston, saying he had no choice but to head inland.
"I live at (a local retirement community) and they're shutting off the power," he said.
"I like to get out of town anyway and take the burden off local resources. I was here for Hurricane Hugo. It made a last-minute turn."
President Barack Obama also added that the US Government had teams and supplies positioned to respond to Matthew as the storm barrelled closer to the southern coast.
"I want to emphasise to the public — this is a serious storm," Mr Obama said after a briefing at the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
"It has been building strength on its way to Florida."
