But the legacy of the 9-day-old hurricane has still not been determined as it continues to follow the U.S. coastline with projections of a major storm surge, potentially as high as 10 feet, in South Carolina and perhaps Georgia.
The National Weather Service in Charleston, S.C., said tide levels may reach or exceed those that occurred in October of last year when record rainfall led to major flooding and the deaths of almost 20 people.
More than 2.5 million people in four states evacuated their homes as the storm approached Florida.
The break Florida needed occurred shortly before midnight when the Category 3 hurricane jogged eastward just enough to keep the eye of the storm and its 120 mph winds offshore.
There was one indirect storm-related death in Florida: A woman in St. Lucie County suffered a heart attack, but emergency workers couldn’t reach her for nearly five hours because of high winds.
Gov. Rick Scott was not ready to give the all-clear signal.
“It still has time to do a direct hit,” Scott said. “This is not over. … It could be the worst part of this is yet to come.”
Residents of South and Central Florida awoke to find high winds and minor flooding but none of the devastation that occurred in Haiti, where the death toll is expected to rise to more than 300.
Herve Fourcand, a senator for the Sud department, told the French news agency Agence France-Presse that he had recorded 400 deaths with several localities still inaccessible.
Rescue workers there have been cut off from the hard-hit southwest peninsula, where images show flattened buildings and widespread destruction, the result of 140 mph winds.
Both the Miami and Fort Lauderdale airports as well as the Port Everglades cruise ship terminal were expected to reopen Friday. Power already was being restored to parts of South Florida.
In Central Florida, the Orlando Sanford Airport was expected to remain closed all day, but it was hoped that the larger Orlando International Airport would be able to have limited service by day’s end. Disney World closed for only the fourth time in its history. SeaWorld and Universal also were closed Friday.
Central Florida will continue to deal with Matthew on Friday morning, although forecasters said the area “dodged a bullet” because the strongest part of the storm stayed offshore.
“There was no landfall,” said Scott Kelly, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Melbourne, Fla.
Cape Canaveral was slapped with gusts of 115 mph around 5 a.m., and the more-populated Melbourne area reported winds of 77 mph. Kelly said the weather service expects coastal areas and barrier islands to take the worst of the storm.
Most of the damage in Brevard County, which for decades has been the home to the space program, was restricted to blown-out windows and downed trees and power lines.
More than 500,000 people were without power in the state, including at least 180,000 — half the population — in Brevard County.
The storm passed off the coast of Daytona Beach by late morning as it was making its way north to Jacksonville. There were reports of trees falling on houses and some roofing torn off in Volusia County, but no damage assessment was immediately available.
The major concern Friday morning was storm surge, which could reach 10 feet. Georgia and South Carolina seemed especially vulnerable as the U.S. coastline jogs significantly to the east.
“We are very concerned about the storm surge, and the worst effects are still likely to come,” Scott said. “Remember, Jacksonville has a lot of low-lying area, especially Nassau County. We’re very focused on Jacksonville, and there is concern of significant flooding there.”
The storm was expected to be off the coast of Jacksonville no later than 8 p.m. EDT Friday.
President Barack Obama, speaking from the Oval Office, warned that the situation is not over, but credited the governors of the four states that may be affected for being on top of things.
“I just want to emphasize to everybody that this is still a dangerous hurricane,” Obama said.
“We can always replace properties, but we can’t replace lives. Even though the damage in South Florida was not as bad as it could be, there are people who have been affected and they are going to need help.”
The storm originally was expected to have a greater and more dangerous impact on the state. Scott had warned residents that the storm was capable of killing, causing local officials to close schools and public buildings well in advance.
Scott credited that preparedness as a key to the lack of significant damage.
“There is no victory lap yet,” Scott said. “There won’t be that until the storm leaves the state … and everyone’s lives return to normal.”
Counties opened 145 shelters, which housed about 22,000 people Thursday night.
Many Central Florida communities imposed curfews, which will stay in effect until Saturday morning.
The Orange County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office said two people were arrested for violating curfew, and in nearby Sanford, a man was arrested for trying to break into a Dollar General store.
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(Cherwa reported from Orlando, Fla., and Duara from Tampa, Fla.)
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