Hurricane Matthew (Oct. 7, 2016)

Matthew weakened slightly to a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds near 120 mph, but the U.S. National Hurricane Center says it's expected to remain a powerful hurricane as it moves closer to the coast.

Section:Gallery

Fri., Oct. 7, 2016

Trees sway from heavy rain and wind from Hurricane Matthew in front of Exploration Tower early Friday, Oct. 7, 2016 in Cape Canaveral, Fla. Matthew weakened slightly to a Category 3 storm with maximum sustained winds near 120 mph, but the U.S. National Hurricane Center says it's expected to remain a powerful hurricane as it moves closer to the coast.

Craig Rubadoux Florida Today
A billboard canvas flaps in the wind after Hurricane Matthew passed off shore, Friday, Oct. 7, 2016, in North Palm Beach, Fla. Matthew was downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane overnight with the strongest winds of 120 mph just offshore as the storm pushed north, threatening hundreds of miles of coastline in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

Wilfredo Lee Associated Press
A car drives past a downed tree as Hurricane Matthew moves through Daytona Beach, Fla. Friday, Oct. 7, 2016. Matthew was downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane overnight, and its storm center hung just offshore as it moved up the Florida coastline, sparing communities its full 120 mph winds.

Charlie Riedel Associated Press
Preston Payne tires to hold his umbrella as he watches the waves near the Tybee pier as Hurricane Matthew makes its way up the East Coast, Friday, Oct. 7, 2016, on Tybee Island, Ga. Authorities warned that the danger was far from over, with hundreds of miles of coastline in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina still under threat of torrential rain and dangerous storm surge as the most powerful hurricane to menace the Atlantic Seaboard in over a decade pushed north.

Stephen Morton Fr56856 Ap
A sailboat takes on water as she sits on her side in the Indian River Friday, Oct. 7, 2016, in Rockledge, Fla. Hurricane Matthew skirted Florida's east coach. Matthew scraped Florida's Atlantic coast early Friday, toppling trees onto homes and knocking out power to a half-million people but sparing some of the most heavily populated stretches of shoreline the catastrophic blow many had feared.

Chris O'Meara Associated Press
High surf from the Banana River crashes up on a dock at Sunset Grill in Cocoa Beach, Fla., as Hurricane Matthew hits Florida's east coast, Friday, Oct. 7, 2016.

Red Huber Orlando Sentinel
Vehicles stop near a downed traffic signal taken down from winds associated with Hurricane Matthew Friday, Oct. 7, 2016, in Cocoa Village, Fla. Matthew skirted Florida's east coach. Matthew scraped Florida's Atlantic coast early Friday, toppling trees onto homes and knocking out power to a half-million people but sparing some of the most heavily populated stretches of shoreline the catastrophic blow many had feared.

Chris O'Meara Associated Press
Brian Johns walks through waters from a storm surge as debris litters the ground while he tries to video the effects of Hurricane Matthew, Friday, Oct. 7, 2016, in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Eric Gay Associated Press
Brian Johns is hit by a wave as he tries to video the effects of Hurricane Matthew, Friday, Oct. 7, 2016, in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Eric Gay Associated Press
A motorist drives down flooded street in St. Augustine, Fla., as Hurricane Matthew moves up the Florida coast Friday, Oct. 7, 2016. Matthew was downgraded to a Category 3 hurricane overnight, and its storm center, or eye, hung just offshore Friday morning as it moved up the coastline, sparing communities the full force of its 120 mph winds.

John Bazemore Associated Press
Reaves Tuthill walks on a submerged dock at the Vero Beach Yacht Club, after checking on his boat in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, Friday, Oct. 7, 2016, in Vero Beach, Fla. Matthew continues moving north along Florida's east coast.

Lynne Sladky Associated Press
After responding to a call at a busines a New Smyrna Beach police officer gets a lift over a flooded street to his patrol car, Friday, Oct. 7, 2016 in New Smyrna Beach, Fla. Hurricane Matthew sideswiped Florida's Atlantic coast Friday, toppling trees onto homes and knocking out power to more than 800,000 people but sparing the most heavily populated stretch of shoreline the catastrophic blow many had feared.

Red Huber Orlando Sentinel
A car drives past a downed tree as Hurricane Matthew moves through Daytona Beach, Fla. Friday, Oct. 7, 2016.

Charlie Riedel Associated Press
A boat is partially submerged in the Halifax River as Hurricane Matthew moves through Daytona Beach, Fla. Friday, Oct. 7, 2016.

Charlie Riedel Associated Press
Noah Simons steers as his car is pushed out of flood waters caused by Hurricane Matthew, Friday, Oct. 7, 2016, in Daytona Beach, Fla. Hurricane Matthew spared Florida's most heavily populated stretch from a catastrophic blow Friday but threatened some of the South's most historic and picturesque cities with ruinous flooding and wind damage as it pushed its way up the coastline.

Eric Gay Associated Press
An official vehicle navigates debris as it passes along Highway A1A after it was partial washed away by Hurricane Matthew, Friday, Oct. 7, 2016, in Flagler Beach, Fla. Hurricane Matthew spared Florida's most heavily populated stretch from a catastrophic blow Friday but threatened some of the South's most historic and picturesque cities with ruinous flooding and wind damage as it pushed its way up the coastline.

Eric Gay Associated Press
Workers from Davey Tree Service cut up a massive tree that closed Haven Drive in the Ivanhoe District of Orlando, Fla., after winds from Hurricane Matthew pass through, Friday, Oct. 7, 2016.

Joe Burbank Orlando Sentinel
A bridge at a church is surrounded by flood waters from Hurricane Matthew, Friday, Oct. 7, 2016, in St. Augustine , Fla.

John Bazemore Associated Press
Debbie Tait checks on sand bags in the entrance to her hardware store as the street floods with water from Hurricane Matthew in downtown Brunswick, Ga., Friday, Oct. 7, 2016. She and her husband plan on riding the storm out in their store which has been in his family for 90 years. "We're not going anywhere. It's our livelihood," said Tait.

David Goldman Associated Press
An Isle of Palms house leaves a message as Hurricane Matthew approaches the Isle of Palms, S.C., Friday, October 7, 2016.

Mic Smith Fr2 Ap