The City of Hollywood and all of Broward County are under a Hurricane Warning. Residents should complete hurricane preparations and stay indoors throughout the duration of the storm. Conditions are expected to deteriorate rapidly this afternoon with the worst conditions expected later this evening.
As of 11 a.m. on Thursday, October 6: Hurricane Matthew was near Nassau, Bahamas and moving toward the northwest near 14 mph. This general motion is expected to continue throughout the day. Outer rain bands are already approaching Florida. Maximum sustained winds with this hurricane remain near 140 mph (205 km/h) with higher gusts. Matthew is a category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Additional strengthening is expected
today, as it approaches the east coast of Florida. Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 160 miles.
Matthew is expected to produce total rainfall amounts for coastal eastern Florida of 4 to 8 inches and up to 12 inches in isolated areas.
A voluntary evacuation was issued for areas east of US 1 and mobile home parks. All residents wishing to evacuate should have done so at this time.
CURRENT IMPACTS:
Traffic Signal Outage- Sheridan Street and I-95. When traffic signals are out, motorists should treat the intersection as a 4 way stop and proceed only when it is safe to do so.
STAY SAFE:
• Do not go outside during the storm. Conditions will deteriorate rapidly as the storm approaches the east coast of Florida, making it dangerous to venture outside.
• Stay tuned to local media for storm updates. You also can log on to the City of Hollywood website atwww.hollywoodfl.org/hurricane for storm updates.
• If the power goes out, use battery-powered flashlights or lamps to illuminate your home. DO NOT use a gas-powered lamp or generator inside your home.
• While significant flooding is not expected, if your home begins to flood move to a higher floor inside the home. If you live in a one-story house, stand or sit atop a couch or table to stay dry. Do not use any electrical devices while standing in flood waters.
• As the storm begins to impact the area, please refrain from calling 9-1-1 for anything other than a life-threatening emergency. Police and fire-rescue crews cannot safely respond to calls once the when wind speeds exceed 45 mph.
• If your home begins to sustain damage during the storm and you determine there is an imminent threat to people inside your home, move everyone into your pre-determined safe room. This room should be in the interior of the house and should not have any windows such as a bathroom or closet.
Garbage, Recycling and Commingled Materials (Brush and Junk) collections have been suspended in preparation for the storm and will resume as soon as it is safe to do so.
The City of Hollywood is taking the following steps:
-The City's Emergency Operation Center is under a full activation and all emergency response personnel have reported for duty.
-City Staff are in contact with the Broward Emergency Operations Center and National Weather Service for storm updates.
-Public Utilities has ensured that primary and auxiliary water pumps located throughout the City are working properly.
-All storm drains have been cleared. If you see a clogged storm drain, please take steps to clear it if you are able.
-High profile and waterborne vehicles have been prepared for emergency use.
-Barricades are ready for deployment on flooded/impassable streets (if necessary).
-All City facilities have been prepared for Hurricane force winds.
All City Administrative offices are closed and will remain closed Thursday and Friday. The City's Community Centers are closed Thursday and Friday. The City has rescheduled Operation Paintbrush. The re-blended paint giveaway originally scheduled for this Saturday has been rescheduled to November 12. The monthly Beach Sweep Clean-up planned for this Saturday as well as the Italian Festival at ArtsPark have both been cancelled.
Hollywood residents and business owners who have a question about government services before, during and after the storm can go to the Hurricane information section of the City's website or call the Broward County Emergency Management Hurricane Hotline at 954.831.4000 or 311.