that is going to be a huge problem with this as these winds just continue to push inland. pushing all that water inland up those -- into those inner coastal waterways. the lagoons and the rivers. that's why those mandatory evacuations were ordered all up and down the coast and do it. we know that a lot of people evacuated here in brevard county, which is a great sign. we know a lot of the shelters are full because emergency crews can't get to you. they can't get out in this. so, they have to wait until the storm passes. and then, you know, by then who knows what they will find. so, that's why it's so important to get out ahead of the storm. chris, we're going to still be in this and beaten around for the next couple of hours before we start to get out of this system. but it is going to inch closer and closer to you throughout the day and i think the storm surge is really concerning me for you, as well as the damaging winds, chris. >> so, i want you to explain to me, jennifer. the impact of what it means for this to be a wet storm. i got a message from one of the meteorologists that we're using who said, you know, gave me that line. matthew is big, slow and a long way to go. and it's a very wet storm. what does that mean? >> yeah. it's a lot of rain. it's going to be a lot of rain with this storm. you know, when you have storms like this, you want them to move out quickly. you don't want them to sit on top of you. you don't want it to move very slowly. that will bring more and more rain with it and that is just going to add to the problem when you have flooding. you're also going to have that storm surge. we say all the time that, you know, you can't just focus on the wind. we categorize these storms by their winds, but we lose more lives because of the water. the water is so deadly. that storm surge that pushes in, we're talking 7 to 11 feet of storm surge around where we are. and where you're going to be, as well. where the state just kind of tucks in right there north of jacksonville, as well. the coastline of georgia and south carolina. so, very vulnerable part of the east coast when you're talking about storm surge and shallow water that is all pushing inland. if you have on top of that a system that is going to dump a lot of rain. it's just going to make matters worse, chris. >> we just got an emergency alert on our phones not too long ago that a hurricane is headed this way. it's many hours from now and a lot of messages on social media from people in and around jacksonville, boy, i'm glad matthew wasn't worse. it isn't here yet. only one of the cuts in the coastline. that means that storm surge will get forced into this area in a concentrated fashion. it is going to get a lot more urgent in jacksonville. so, please, stay home, stay safe. jennifer, we'll check back with you. boris sanchez is in daytona beach that has been getting hammered. big gusts of wind, lightning. he had tamove his shot to stay safe and let's check in with him right now. boris, the latest? >> just a few moments ago we got hit with another huge gust of wind. we had debris coming into the loop here in our hotel. a huge sheet of metal just swoop by us, fortunately, didn't hit anyone. yeah, the wind just keeps getting stronger and stronger and the rain is just going sideways at this point. chris, from what we can tell, the lights are still on at least down the street from us. but we have seen several power flashes and at one point we saw what appeared to be sparks coming off of a light post. so far so good. that's the message from the chief of police here in daytona beach. at least about two hours ago for the most part we've seen minimal damage. there is a lot of debris in the street, though. still a very dangerous situation, but at least so far it doesn't appear that there is tremendous amount of damage. obviously, all of that can change as the storm gets closer and closer, especially when you consider that storm surge that is expected to hit six or seven feet. when i woke up this morning and i looked outside, the water was already at the limit of our hotel. right at the wall of our hotel. so, to consider that it is going to keep rising and get stronger and stronger. the water is certainly going to come into these neighborhood and cause more problems, chris. >> all right, be safe and be aware, my friend. we still have a long way to go because the storm is moving so slowly. less than ten miles per hour. let's check in with dr. rick knabb national hurricane center. he's been tracking this and in terms of expectations, doctor, how are we doing so far? >> well, the center of circulation is generally been moving where we said the last couple days it would be near and close to the east coast of florida. but one thing i want to really emphasize here is just because the center of circulation is off shore doesn't mean that you can't be the center of action. you could still get life-threatening inland flooding and hurricane force winds in northeastern florida, georgia and south carolina. don't all of a sudden start taking a sigh of relief and not take preparedness actions because you're counting on the center staying off shore. the closer this gets to the coast, the worst the conditions will be but close enough that you still need to evacuation if officials have told you to go and still telling you it is time to go. you need to go now. it could save your life. >> doctor, i got a sneaking suspension for people who are watching us in and around this area. the new advisory gets a more concentrated impact later. i'm seeing more cars of people zipping around and i think it's because thus far, you know, it's not as intense here in jacksonville, other than some gusts in the upper 30s that we had. but what will come here, especially with this funnel effect because the st. john's river here behind us is one of the only cuts in the eastern coastline in this part of the state. that means a concentrations of water that comes through. what do people need to be aware of here? >> first thing talking to folks in the jacksonville area, st. john's river region. the weather is now just beginning to go downhill. it will get a lot worse before it has a chance of getting better. i want to show you that even though the center of circulation is off shore, we are still issuing prototype storm surge warnings that go up the east coast of florida into coastal georgia and south carolina and includes downtown jacksonville and the st. john's river. this is not just a storm surge event along the immediate beach of the atlanta coast. it could push water onshore into the st. john's river. this is going to be the direction of the wind on the northern side of the hurricane and this is a big hurricane. not just a strong one. fully capable of pushing the ocean around and pushing the waters into jacksonville area and st. john's river. so, you don't have to have landfall in the center for that to occur. >> and in terms of what that will mean, you know, we set up here in jacksonville hoping that i would be able to have a steady hand here for the duration. now, the advisory shifted and we'll probably have to move our location because the river is already right up at the top of the promenade here. it's got four hours, four feet of tide expected if it were a normal situation, yet alone all the storm surge that is going to come. and the emergency authorities and the local authorities, the mayor here, they keep saying they won't be able to get to people. that that message has to get through. how long could people have to stay on their own if this goes the wrong way? >> well, not only can you find yourself trapped in an area where the conditions are bad for a long time, the strong wind and the heavy rains. but if there's damage and authorities are having trouble getting around the areas because the roads are blocked or if they're having to respond to other people who have been affected. they might not be able to get to you in quite a while. you don't want to find yourself in an isolated location where not only could you die as a result of the flooding from storm surge or heavy rainfall causing flash flooding, but if you survive that, something else could happen to you. a car accident, you're injured and authorities can't get to you. you have to evacuate if you're told to go. it could save your life. and you just mentioned, you might have to change your location. what an excellent example that should show everybody. if you're evacuating. this is what evacuation looks like. come with me, let's get out of here. >> absolutely. and they are telling us here the local authorities that the shelters are near capacity, but nat doesn't mean that you can't go. the salvation army is making extra accommodations and the mayor here and his staff are very aggressive. they've been on this from the beginning. they're making accommodations. our phones were just going off and i'm sure you're getting it, as well. make your way to shelters and safety and especially here. dr. rick knabb, thank you for being with us. jacksonville is a bridge city. there are lots of bridges. like this one behind us. over 45 miles per hour the bridge is shut down. when it changes, you will not have the ability to get around like you do right now. take that into consideration, as well. all right, we're showing you a picture of where it's getting hit hardest right now across the state. that line that i got from one of these pros, matthew is big and slow and has a long way to go. >> chris, we are going to bring in an incredible guest right now who has incredible video that everybody should look up at their screens. oh, it's chad myers. wow. what an intro that i'm giving you, chad. i was about to go to a hurricane hunter and we will go to him in one second. but, chad, do you want to give us the latest on how far away the eye is? >> well, i just want to tell chris. he has 15 minutes to batten down the hatches. as he talked about, hey, there's a lull right now. here's the lull. that is the blue, the light rain. there is a batch of heavy rain coming at him and 15 to 20 minutes, chris. you need to be ready for a wind gust probably in excess of 60. >> all right. chad, thank you very much. i'm sure that chris is heeding your warning. now, we want to bring in richard henning a meteorologist and flight director from noaa's hurricane hunters and believe it or not we're joining him at 45,000 feet up in the sky. richard, are you in a plane flying into the storm? >> yes, good morning. can you hear me? >> i can, richard. what are you seeing? >> good morning to everyone. good morning to all of your viewers. i'm talking to you from a gulf stream jet flying at 45,000 feet. eight-hour mission where we're sampling the environment around the storm and across the top of the storm. we're dropping what we call drop instruments which are the opposite of a weather balloon. weather balloons go up and what we do is drop instrument packages that fall down. they fall by parachute. take about 15 minutes to reach the surface. and they measure pressure, temperature, humidity and all the other important meteoeteor logical. >> richard, i mean, we are watching your video as you're speaking, we're watching your video and i have to tell you, your job and what you are living is many of our worst nightmare of flying through that turbulence that we just saw you fly through. and then i guess at the eye, in the eye, it opens up and it just looks like sort of a cloudy day. >> yeah. yes. right now we're flying in the gulf of mexico. we just crossed the southern peninsula of florida. we're going to drop about nine more instruments in the gulf of mexico because, again, we're measuring essentially what we call the steering currents that influence the track of the storm. we flew out in the atlantic several hundred miles east and northeast of the storm and now we're heading out into the gulf to make more measurements. essentially, if you can imagine a hurricane as a block of wood floating in a stream, what we're doing is we're measuring the stream. we're measuring the currents, the kind of things that would affect where that block of wood is going to go. so, if you could imagine a hurricane being that block of wood, that's what we're doing. trying to make the models that everybody relies on so much these days as accurate as possible. to get that forecast track as accurate as possible for the hurricane center. >> i mean, richard, you are taking one for the team with your work and what you're doing there. can you just tell us what it feels like inside your plane because we're looking at the video where you're being batted around and we see the windshield pelt would intense rain but it just looks like some of the scariest turbiulence that any o us have experienced on a commercial flight. >> i would say, it's a different view of the storm from up here. from up at 45,000 feet. we actually fly two different aircrafts. we fly the p3 that actually goes through the teeth of the storm into the eyewall down at 10,000 feet. and then we fly this aircraft across the top of the storm and surrounding the storm up at a much higher altitude. so, it gives a different vantage point. we get the top of the storm and the p3 gets the bottom of the storm. >> you're saying you're circumventing the storm by going at 49,000 feet. >> i'm sorry, i didn't hear your question. i'm talking to you on a satellite phone. so, it's a little bit hard to hear you. but if you could repeat your question. >> you mean, richard, it's hard to hear me when you're flying at 45,000 feet in an airplane that is going through a hurricane? wow, i thought we had the technology for that. but, what i'm saying, richard -- >> i'm actually talking to you through a satellite back to the -- from the aircraft through a satellite back to the earth. >> richard. it's actually working better than our satellites we have with chris cuomo who is on earth in jacksonville. but, richard, just explain to me what the sensation is? are you saying that at 45,000 feet you fly above the storm? because the video that we're watching of you and/or your colleague is flying right into it. richard, can you hear me? >> again a little difficult to hear you right now. the reception is not so good on my end. but, i guess the one thing i wanted to make sure everybody realizes is that this is still a very dangerous storm with winds in excess of 100 miles per hour. well in excess of 100 miles per hour. and the folks up in the northern end of florida are still under the gun. the folks in georgia and south carolina need to heed all of the warnings of their local emergency management folks because all the data that we've gathered over the past several days indicates that this is still a very dangerous storm. and the air folks in central florida may have caught a little bit of a break with the storm making a slight turn to the right. >> all right, well, as you -- richard, gosh, thank you so much for your video. and for all the information and for the work that you do so that everyone on the ground, all the meteorologists can track this storm as an effective way as they can. we wish you best of luck and look forward to you being back because your video is intense, richard. thanks so much for sharing it with us. >> well, thank you so much. and good luck to everyone in georgia, south carolina and the other places that may be affected by the storm over the next couple of days. and god bless you all. >> yeah, you, too, richard. great reminder, chris, that he just gave us there of just how intense it is. it is not over. they are the ones gathering all the data and they see it is headed towards you, obviously, there in jacksonville. and then, of course, to georgia and south carolina, as well. wow, what a job he has. chris? >> yeah. you know, but the key word there is it is his job. one of the difficulties about a hurricane is that it is such a spectacle. it's something to behold. it creates such excitement. there's an entertainment value in it. when you are where you are, the problem is when that transfers to people in the way of this storm, it becomes a deadly curiosity. that's one of the things that the local authorities are trying to drum in. yes, the big winds and what it does and those effects. watch it on television from somewhere safe. don't stay to see it yourself. that may sound obvious, but a lot of people are not heeding that warning. we are seeing the costs of that already. let's check in right now with chief michael chitwood from daytona beach police there. chief, we had heard from bolis sanchez our correspondent down there that he did see some folks playing in the storm to get as close as they could. we know you don't want that. how is it going so far overall? >> our black period from 9:00 to 8:00. right now minor damage and flooding on the beach side and tops of gas stations have been ripped off and tree limbs are down and some power failures. but the next four hours are going to be really, really crucial for us. >> and how are you doing so far in terms of how the precautionary measures are holding up and how people are fairing, if they did stay behind? >> so fax, we're quite well. i've been out on the streets until 3:00 in the morning until just now and if someone needed help, we could absolutely positively get there to help them. we did have one fool who thought it would be kind of kocool to te his pickup truck and he has been subsequently arrest prd thed fo. other than that, the streets are quiet and we want people to stay indoors. 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. is going to be our big hit and we're keeping our fingers crossed. >> there's no cure for stupid. at least thatify is in a safe situation right now. from 9:00 to 2:00, you won't be able to go and get people. people have to understand they're not just exposing themselves to risk but they're taking first responders with them if they put themselves in the bad position. >> the winds have really picked up and you could feel when you're going over a bridge you could feel the truck start to sway side to side. so, when the full brunt of this storm hits us, we will not be able to get you off that peninsula. >> and you introduce an interesting feature of where you are, also. like in jacksonville, you're a little bit of a bridge city there. a lot of people have those overpasses to deal with and they become really hazardous to go through and a lot in jacksonville shut down at 40, 45 miles per hour. if you make a wrong choice, your ability to correct and get out of there is limited, right? >> absolutely. absolutely. our big fear is the storm surge. you know, we have the intercoastal water way on one side of the peninsula and the atlantic ocean on the other. high tide is around 1:00 today which will coincide and that's what we're really worried about and people don't seem to understand what that storm surge is like. it's flash flooding. i mean, you could be walking down the street in one minute and the next minute you could be wiped away and be sucked out over the ocean. >> how about the worst kind of thing that could be fallout here on the human level which is crimes of opportunity. have you heard about any looting or any opportunist to try to get in there and take advantage? >> we have been in really good shape. i don't want to jinx us. but we have been out, and patrols have been out. there is very, very little vehicular traffic and virtually no foot traffic. so, you know, the key for us and we believe what's going to happen between 9:00 and 2:00. if we can escape a lot of devastation, i think we'll knock that way down because we have every police officer is on duty tonight. on duty and has been on duty and they need to remain on duty. >> well, we know that you always put the citizens first. and we appreciate that. please know that we are here to help get the word out if there is information you need. if there is anything we can do with everyone we have on scene, please let us know. >> i have to tell you guys getting the word out consistently and pummeling the airways with how dangerous this is has made our job a little easier so far. >> good. let's hope it stays that way. >> be safe. >> you, too, chief. chris will be back in a second. we want to bring in chad myers to explain the track of it. chad, were you listening to that noaa hurricane hunter who was saying that they -- i mean, you saw that video. they fly into the hurricane. they track winds of 100 miles per hour while they are in that little plane. i mean -- just so that we can have the data that you rely on. wow. >> you know, another plane in it right now flying through it. he's in the jet above it. but another b3 flying through it right now gathering data. telling us what the pressure is, what the maximum wind speeds are and what to expect from here. can without those hurricane hunter aircraft, we would have no idea. even my wife yesterday said, why do they fly through it? without it, we would never know the pressure. because there are no weather balloons to launch out there. there's nothing out there to give us more information than this plane core punching the storm. they don't core punch it with a jet because the jet could flame out. they core punch these storms with propeller planes. >> oh, my gosh. >> i had the opportunity to go up and i've said no. >> because you're sane. >> i have an 11-year-old. that was a -- those are dangerous flights. we've never lost one, but those are bumpy flights. >> he was explaining his job and tell us the data that you now have as a result and what you're seeing. >> what we usually talk about and we've been on the air straight now for like 12 hours is a storm that comes onshore and it's onshore and two hours later it's dead. this isn't that storm, alisyn. this storm has stayed in the gulf stream and will continue to stay in this very warm water all the way up to jacksonville. this is still hours away from doing any real damage in jacksonville. hours away from making real storm surge in savannah and on up into st. simons island. this is just a long duration on the air all the time. wind speeds are still 100 miles per hour. oak hill, oak hill is the real first community north of the sea shore here. this is all national sea shore. no one getting hit really hard right now on the ocean side. no people, no buildings, no houses. but right there is oak hill. that is the first neighborhood before you get to new smyrna, which is about to get hit with 1 100-mile-per-hour wind gusts. these are the first real, i think, significant damage areas we're going to see from the storm. because it's still moving along the coast. heading towards daytona. we have reporters all the way up and down the coast to show you as that happens. but for now, it's off shore. that's good news. we will still see those 100 mile per hour winds, alisyn. along the shore, the redline through here. it will get to 100 or very close into charleston and maybe even hilton head. i don't want to say this storm is over, but this storm is just beginning because we have 10 to 1212 hour hours before it getss cuomo's location. we will go to the ground and see what's happening there with hurricane matthew as soon as "new day" comes right back. chris cuomo here in jacksonville, florida. the weather advisory has been shifted to make this area the part of florida that is expected to get the most intense impact from hurricane matthew. but it's already being felt in severe fashion along the central part of the eastern coast of florida. we'll put some pictures up of daytona beach. they've been getting pounded by that whole trifecta. the big winds, the storm surge, the rain. there have even been bolts of lightning causing unintended problems. over 300,000 have lost power. many of them are going to have to remain in harm's way because emergency services can't get ouout out. now, the concern in a place like jacksonville seen right over our shoulder as the light has come up here this morning in jacksonville, this is the st. john river. this is one of the only cuts in the eastern coast of florida and that means storm surge could literally get funneled in and concentrated. look at how high the river is already compared to the promenade. that's without six to ten feet of storm surge and wind whipping and the rain to add volume. that is going to mean a lot of flooding and that's going to lock people into this city. bridges like this will be inoperable at 45 miles per hour. if you make the wrong decision now, your ability to correct it is going to be limited. think about that and, please, be safe. jennifer gray is in palm bay. more on in central florida they've been getting hit hard. 80 mile per hour gusts. jennifer, what is going on? >> chris, it looks like things are finally starting to die down, but just a little bit. hopefully in the next couple of hours we will be in better shape. you're right, wind gusts of 80 miles per hour and those have come down and not as frequent as they were earlier. we were getting sustained winds of 50 and 60 miles per hour and only because that eye wall stayed just off shore and just to the east of where we were. we were talking about all week. everything will depend on how close that eye gets to the coast. luckily for us it stayed a little bit off shore. it was good news for us. just to our north, cape canaveral have been getting pounded by that outer eyewall for quite some time now with winds of up to 100 miles per hour just to our north. and, so, not only the wind, the storm surge, of course, as we move forward, as well as the rain. especially for you. you know jacksonville has some of the largest swings along the east coast. so, when you add in storm surge on top of that high tide, we could see major flooding where you are, as well as along the georgia and south carolina coast. some really vulnerable coastline where the country basically tucks in. a little nook right there on the east coast. so, it's going to be a huge concern. of course, a lot of people did try to evacuate and get away from the coast, which is excellent news. a lot of the shelters are full here. emergency personnel still in melbourne and brevard county not able to get out to people to see the extent of the damage, as well as the people who may need help. we are starting to see the light in melbourne and should be in better shape in the next couple of hours. unfortunately, as it inches closer to you, your conditions will deteriorate. >> let's get to boris sanchez, we're showing you pictures from kmg, one of our affiliates here in florida to cnn. terrible picture of extreme weather. boris, how is it where you are? >> chris, the wind is getting stronger as the hours pass. and we're seeing all kinds of debris come into this loop that is outside our hotel. this appears to be the top of a cooking fan that came into the lobby of the hotel and it's huge and it's very, very dangerous to be outside because things like this could easily become projectiles and hit people and destroy property. that's why nobody wants anybody out on the street. despite that this morning, i've already seen two men one in the street and one in a pickup truck. terrible idea for people to be outside right now. also because of the storm surge, we're expected to get six and seven feet here in daytona and we're, fortunately, on the other side of the hotel. not far from here, the coast is creeping up. when i woke up this morning, i looked outside and the water was right up to the edge of our hotel. it is going to continue to rise and that water will likely wind up in our neighborhood. you can see some of the debris in the street. there's a sign out there and it wouldn't surprise me if the next few hours were more pieces of debris in the street. we have seen street signs that are about to fly out. there are also light posts that look like they're moving around. right now it's starting to calm down. again, these bands are coming in and out and we will soon see a lot of damage here in daytona beach, chris. >> word to the wise, that guy who went out in that pickup truck is now safe, boris because chief chitwood told me he is in jail. they're going to get you because you're putting first responders at risk. we'll check back in a little bit. one of the local authorities that is trying to keep the area safe is mayor lenny curry. good to have you with me right now. you're going to get wet. i'm already soaked. you've been with your team to do everything you could to get ready in advance. how's it going? >> we have been warning people for days and did our first evacuation couple days ago and we are under tropical storm conditions right now. while we have shelter capacity, time for people to hunker down and if they need to seek shelter after the storm, we will be able to help them do that. >> people moving around a little more than i expected this morning. >> it's coming. heavy, heavy wind gusts are going to come and storm surge is going to be significant particularly along the coast, up to nine feet. anything over three feet is life threatening. people need to know if you're along the coast, low-lying areas, this is a life-threatening storm. your life is in danger. >> the bridges here, there are a lot of them for getting across, obviously, the st. john river. they will stop functioning at about 45 miles per hour. you have a limited window of when you can correct your mistake to stay here thus far. >> 40 miles per hour sustained wind gusts and we're getting nonsustained. we're getting gusts right now that are approaching that. once 40 miles per hour sustained, the bridge is closed. you shouldn't be outside right now. if you're in an evacuation zone and you made the decision to stay, time to hunker down. >> we're almost up at the promenade and this isn't normal high tide yet. none of the funnel effect of the surge yet. >> that's right. 10:00 on this morning, particularly early this afternoon heavy, heavy wind speeds and gusts. outside of downed power lines and wind and rain is the storm surge, which could continue even when the storm moves out. people need to know that. as the water rises and it flows in, it's like being in a tub. it can flow back and forth depending on the height and depth. >> what is your sense about how many people heeded the call and local residents zones a, b and c you were evacuating. how many heeded the call? >> i was at the beach and i encouraged people to leave. i was very stern, very direct. the governor was very stern, very direct. serious storm. we gave ample time to leave. those that didn't leave, we'll be prepared to help on the other side of this. >> especially those beach areas. i mean that, for sure, they're going to get a surge. you just won't be able to get there. if the first responders do go, their lives are in jeopardy, too. >> in the middle of the storm when the wind speeds are high and had rain is coming in the storm surge, you can't send public safety personnel in. we warn people on the front end. on the back end of this, every life matters. we are certainly going to do everything that we can to get into where we need to do to make sure that people are safe and taken care of. >> mayor, we are here to get information out. what we'll see we'll convey to you when you're in your operation center. let us know how to help. thank you for being with us. >> thank you. thanks for getting the information out. >> thank you, mr. mayor. >> alisyn, we'll come back to you. jacksonville a well-developed city. people think i'm in the high rise, i'm safe. the wind on the ground is less than the wind shear at elevation. so, you'll be dealing with 100 miles per hour later on. >> we're look at the split screens. you are on the left and that's basically the future. we're looking at you in jacksonville where the storm is headed and then we're looking at the present and that is daytona beach on the right. it looks like an underwater scene, basically. we're seeing all sorts of rain and it's completely obscuring the shot. the cameraman is having a hard time keeping the camera locked down. so, you know, it's so interesting in our coverage. we have heard people who had gone through the storm and they are heeding a sigh of relief. in the thick of it in daytona and you where it is headed. everybody needs to realize this is not over, as chad just said. it is, in fact, almost just beginning. so, cocoa beach is where one of the places that it seems that the eye of the storm has just passed. i believe we have the mayor from cocoa beach on the phone joining us. mr. mayor, can you hear me? >> yes, i can. >> okay, great. when we last checked in with you a couple hours ago, you were hunkered down in i believe the fire station with some other first responders on the radar there. it looks as if the eye has just passed you to the north. what are you experiencing? >> it has. >> mr. mayor? gosh, you know, even though the eye has passed -- >> you hear me? >> now i can. go ahead. >> not much has changed except the wind direction. we're still having 40 to 50-mile-per-hour winds. it's still dangerous. we're not able to leave the fire station yet, which is our command center to assess the damage. we won't be able to do that for four or five hours yet. >> is that right? >> just not safe enough. in fact, if there's -- the winds are such at such a high rate that the debris. flying debris. >> yes, flying debris. that's what, obviously, one of the biggest risk factors are. we saw boris sanchez show us this huge piece of metal. like the outer covera aging of g fan. mr. mayor, i know that you were so concerned about people heeding the evacuation. look, we're watching one of the reporters right now from one of our affiliates who is actually out in the storm. she's using a major cement pole as ballast to show how windy it is. if anybody would -- >> it's not just the wind at this point. we have downed power lines. we have objects, sharp objects are still flying through the air. but the power lines are -- people will die. it's critical that they stay hunkered down. they stay in their shelter wherever they are located. the storm has not passed. they need to wait and hear an all clear. i'm still seeing transformers blowing out here. it is extremely, still extremely dangerous. and they need to, folks just need to stay indoors. yes, the major part of the storm has passed, but we're still, you know, we're still seeing and feeling very strong winds and it's just not over yet. >> yeah, i mean, it's past you in cocoa beach and, obviously, you're still feeling all the intensity, but now it's headed to daytona and up the coast to jacksonville and beyond. i'm glad you made the point about downed power lines because people think because they lost power the lines aren't hot or active, but they are. anyone should avoid standing water and, obviously, touching any of those power lines. >> if i may, if i may, the reason we're here, we have 50 emergency personnel here, police and fire. we're going to do an assessment once the winds die down. we don't want anyone out on the roads walking around. it's very dangerous. they need to wait to hear an all clear from us. basically we're xwgoing to do a assessment. we have a contractor company that comes in and does this work, as well. power companies need to come in before we can let anyone in. fact of the mart is, though, we already have a couple thousand people that stay. and those people need to stay where they are. >> yeah. >> very important that they stay in their secure location where they are. if they're not, they need to contact us so that we can come get to them, once the winds die down. >> mayor, you have your work cut out for you for the next mayor hours. mayor tim tumulty, thank you for giving us an update. "new day" will take a quick break and we'll check in with our reporters on the ground of where this hurricane is now. we'll be right back. healthy, free, the world before me, the long brown path before me leading wherever i choose. the east and the west are mine. the north and the south are mine. all seems beautiful to me. all right. chris cuomo here in jacksonville. alisyn camerota in new york. she needs to stand by. this is the st. john's river and jacksonville we're still hours away. they're supposed to get maximum effect from hurricane matthew here in jacksonville. if this is just the beginning, imagine what is to come. jason foster has a look into the future for jacksonville. near cape canaveral and storm chaser and broadcasting from his car. jason, if you can hear me, what are you seeing right now. >> i'm kind of at a little bit of a lull. just like that band you were talking about. just on the edge of that. little quiet at the moment, but not going to last long. probably talking minutes before i get slammed by that same band that's sort of on that eye edge. trailing the eye as i move north and move up as i do my next round of footage. >> we heard about a recorded gust according to the governor's office of over 110 miles an hour near where you are. what have you been experiencing in terms of steady winds and the gusts? >> well, that's actually about right. it seems like a couple times there was some really just good, pounding gusts that just blew really high. i mean, it was quite impressive there at the cape. i didn't think that much land difference. just being that little bit closer to the eye would make that much difference, but i think it kind of did. >> well, it's good to a storm chaser, but bad for everybody else, especially what it's dwgog to touch. what have you seen in terms of impact of the storm from where you are? >> i haven't seen that much damage. i'm sure it's out there. but for the most part i see a lot of trees down and the to get to the trees and clear the roadways out. especially for personnel to get back on the road. but i have not seen a lot of building debris. if it is, it's usually cheaper stuff like the small car ports, an old-fashioned window shutter that's not a hurricane shutter, just the regular shutter. you know, the smaller things. signs that were just kind of cheaply made. that's the kind of stuff that i've seen on the roads, and that kind of thing. not too bad. >> well i hope it stays like that, jason. god willing it will. we'll just at the beginning here with hurricane matthew so stay in our ears. let us know if we have anything to pass along to the authorities that you see. and i'll check back with you in a little bit. let's go to jennifer gray a little bit farther down the eastern coast south of where jason is right now in palm bay. she's been getting big gusts there. and a lot of winds and now storm surge is going to come into play as well. jennifer? >> yeah, we are concerned about that storm surge north of us, especially closer to where you are, where we are, we are still getting those gusts. definitely not as strong as they were about an hour or two ago and they're not as frequent which is good news. as that eyewall continues to inch away from us, our conditions will continue to improve. unfortunately, up the coast it's not going to be the case. especially around daytona beach. that's where we're going to expect that eyewall to get closer and closer in the coming hours so conditions are going to deteriorate very, very quickly and then of course later this afternoon, up where you are, chris, we're going to get that storm surge and the high winds around jacksonville. storm surge with this one is a big concern. we've been saying it all morning long. it's the water that kiss people more than the winds, and so while this has very, very powerful winds, the storm surge is a huge concern. especially around jacksonville, and into the south carolina coast where a very vulnerable part of the coastline. another gust right there. so we are going to see the possibility of 7 to 9 feet of storm surge. that's why it is so, so important to get out. you know with these hurricanes, chris, we forecast them for days and days and they move slowly. and so you have the luxury of time. you can get out ahead of the storm. and that's what we've been urging people to do. and you really should do it. if you are in one of those evacuation zones if you are on the storm surge map, your neighborhood is one of those areas that's going to be inundated by water you need to get to higher ground. move inland, chris. >> it's true. jennifer gray, thank you very much. of course, that guidance, that's just good advice. however, tailor it to where you are and what local authorities are telling you. for instance, here in jacksonville the mayor just told us it is time to hunker down in place. there are shelters, if you do need to come you can. but they're near capacity. but the gusts of wind are already getting close to 40 miles an hour. that's when the bridges are no longer going to be operating. so, it's time to get out or it's time to hunker down and stay where you are based on where you are. so pay attention. boris sanchez is in daytona beach. we've been watching him get crushed this morning from hurricane matthew. we're showing you pictures right now i believe from over the top there. you see the pier. you'll see the wilder surf. there was a 17-foot wave measured about 20 miles offshore. that's obviously an indicator of the volume of water that's coming your way, boris. what have you seen? >> hey, chris. we're again in one of the lulls of the storm. but as jennifer mentioned the eyewall is quickly moving in this direction so we're expecting things to get a lot worse very quickly. i'm going to move out of the way so you can see some of the debris that's already in the street because of these high winds. everything from palm trees to signs, a cooking fan, an exhaust fan that was ripped off a roof. we've seen tiles off of roofs in the street, and right now, you can tell that the wind is starting to pick up. it wouldn't surprise me if power lines were snapped off and started flailing in the wind, as well. it is really a very, very dangerous situation. the lights have been going on and off here. we've had to move several times to stay safe. there are now leaks inside of our hotel that are being managed by the hotel staff. they were trying to get as much water out of the inside of the hotel as possible. but again, conditions are quickly deteriorating here, and for those folks that have decided to stay home, it's best to stay inside at this point. there's very little you can do right now to get out of the way of this storm. chris? >> now, that's the sad truth at this point. boris sanchez i'll be talking to you in a couple of moments. right now, we're heading to the top of the hour here, live pictures of the pier at daytona beach. this is what's going on right now, and it's a look into the future for much of florida because of hurricane matthew. (foot steps) ♪ (crickets chirping) ♪ (jet engine) ♪ (heart beat) ♪ (water splashing) (rain drops) (engine revving) (tires on wet road) ♪ lease the exhilarating 2017 lincoln mkz for $349 a month only at your lincoln dealer. this is cnn breaking news. to our viewers in the u.s. and around the world you're watching "new day." i'm chris cuomo in jacksonville, florida. latest advisory from hurricane matthew has this area getting the most concentrated impact of the storm but not until hours from now. alisyn camerota is in new york keeping the ship steady for us. our shots are going in and out because of the winds. they're coming in the succession of rings as the storm comes closer. you see a band coming in right now. the big concern in areas like jacksonville, this is the st. john river. it's one of the view waterways that are a cut from the eastern coast of florida here in central florida. that means a concentration of surge. we're almost at the top of the promenade level right now. we still have three feet of normal tide to come, and as much as six or ten feet of storm surge. on your screen right now, you're looking at the current problems with matthew. daytona beach getting pounded. we have one view from above you're seeing the pier and the waves. there was a 17 foot wave measured 20 feet offshore. that an indication of the water volume that will be pushed up against the shore as storm surge. there've been wind gusts in the 80 miles an hour, 90 miles an hour, doing a lot of damage on the ground. we've seen that in different pockets. wind gusts recorded in cape canaveral over 100 miles an hour. hurricane matthew right now steady at a category 3. that means it packs winds of a maximum 120 miles an hour. but the wind is just part of the trifecta of problems. you have the wind, you have the storm surge, and you have the rain. jennifer gray knows that as well as jean one. she's our meteorologist in palm bay. she's been getting hit hard there all morning. what's it like now? >> yeah, we have been getting hit hard. really hard. right before the sun came up. now we are finally starting to feel like things are getting better. you still get the very strong gusts. they weren't as strong as they were a couple of hours ago. when we were standing out talking to you and we had gusts pounding us that 80 miles per hour, or even a little bit more. now those gusts aren't quite as frequent. the sun has come up. you can see the clouds just racing across