As Hurricane Matthew churns across the Caribbean Florida's officials prepare for the possibility that the Category 4 storm may move closer to the Sunshine State.
While visiting the City of Hialeah Emergency Operations Center Monday, Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency for all counties in Florida.
Scott signed the executive order to ensure counties have resources for evacuations and shelters.
"If Hurricane Matthew directly impacts Florida, there could be massive destruction which we haven't seen since Hurricane Andrew devastated Miami-Dade County in 1992," said Scott.
The governor also said the National Guard is standing by if needed. He added that officials are taking steps to move additional fuel to the state's east coast.
The hurricane had maximum sustained winds of 145 mph early Tuesday, and forecasters said its slowly advancing center would likely pass near or over Haiti's southwestern tip after dawn. It would continue on for another landfall expected in the lightly populated eastern end of Cuba, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
The center said that a tropical storm watch or hurricane watch was likely for parts of Florida later Tuesday as the storm moved north.
At least four people have been killed, including two fishermen in Haiti, as a result of Hurricane Matthew.
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"The best way to prevent further loss is to get prepared now and take this storm seriously," said Scott.
The National Hurricane Center says the slow moving storm could impact Florida as early as Wednesday.
State law prohibits extreme increases in the price of essential commodities such as food, ice, gas, hotels, lumber and water during a declared state of emergency.
She encourages anyone who suspects price gouging to contact the Attorney General's office at 1-866-9-NO-SCAM.
