Summary Fierce Hurricane Matthew left behind flooding and power cuts as it churned along Florida east coast.
JACKSONVILLE (AFP) - Fierce Hurricane Matthew left behind flooding and power cuts as it churned along Florida s east coast Friday, leaving many hard-hit communities feeling like ghost towns.
The slightly weakened but still "extremely dangerous" hurricane was menacing Jacksonville with maximum sustained winds of 110 miles (175 kilometers) per hour, uprooting trees and leaving more than a million people in Florida without power.
Roads in Florida s normally picturesque seaside town St. Augustine sat deserted, many flooded or blocked by downed trees. Stores were closed, the whole city eerily empty under dark, threatening skies.
Ocean water spewed into the streets of the coastal city, which was founded by Spanish colonialists in the 16th century. The nearby St. Johns River overflowed its banks, swallowing some docks and marinas.
All bridges and beaches in the area were closed, with authorities insisting that those who chose to stick it out in evacuation zones were on their own.
One couple defied those warnings, venturing out to Atlantic Beach east of Jacksonville to check on their neighbor s boat.
"It feels great. I love it here," Graig Fairbairn shouted to AFP, the blustering wind nearly drowning out his voice. "I ve been here all my life."
"We have a concrete house and I think we ll be fine."
To fight cabin fever displaced people in one Jacksonville hotel gathered in the dark lobby, reminiscing about hurricanes past as their children played underfoot.
Though Matthew had weakened slightly to a Category Three storm since battering Haiti early this week, the National Hurricane Center was warning that conditions remained severe, with "a danger of life-threatening inundation" along coastal regions of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
The fierce storm was barreling up a 750-mile strip from Boca Raton in Florida towards Surf City, North Carolina, driving seawater and heavy rain inland -- with storm surges up of up to 10 feet (3 meters) capable of devastating damage.
Many in vulnerable zones had disregarded evacuation warnings, and Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said they should now shelter in place.
"We passed that window," Curry said, referring to the evacuation orders. "Now we are encouraging you to stay where you are."
After leaving at least 400 people dead in Haiti, a weaker but still potent Matthew claimed its first US casualties Friday when the storm blocked first responders in Florida from reaching a 58-year-old woman and an 82-year-old man who were in need of medical assistance.
A third victim, a woman from Volusia county, was killed by a falling tree when she ventured out to feed animals during a lull in the storm.
