Florida Sheriff: We'll Need Body Bags If People Don't Evacuate - NBC News

70,000+ Power Outages Reported in Florida So Far

Utility company Florida Power and Light has reported more than 70,000 customers with power outages so far:

• 12,480 in Miami-Dade County
• 12,190 in Broward County
• 37,780 in Palm Beach County
• 2,100 in Brevard County
• 5,300 in Martin County
• 4,970 in Lee County
• 3,530 in St. Lucie County

Earlier, the company said it expects up to 2.5 million outages as a result of the storm.

Supplies for power outage response and power crews with Pike Electric from all over the United States including Texas, Georgia and North Caroline wait to be called out as needed in Pembroke Pines, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 6, 2016. AP

Matthew Shuts Down Disney World, SeaWorld, Universal Orlando Resorts

Three of the world's most popular tourist attractions — Walt Disney World, SeaWorld and Universal Studios — all made the rare decision to close their Orlando, Fla., theme parks Thursday ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Matthew.

The parks — usually open 365 days a year — said that all of facilities would be closed Friday but that they hoped to reopen Saturday.

Disney Parks said it told guests staying in hotels on-site to stay indoors. Most restaurants will remain open, but cancellation fees are being waived, it said.

(Universal Orlando Resort is a unit of Universal Studios, whose parent company, NBCUniversal, also owns NBC News.)

Rain near a Minnie Mouse sign Thursday at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla. Eric Gay / AP

South Carolina Town Distributes Ominous Forms to Hurricane Holdouts

Pregnant Mom Makes Last-Minute Decision to Flee Coast

A pregnant mother of four kids in Palm Bay, Florida considered waiting out Hurricane Matthew — but she and her family hurriedly packed their belongings and fled to Orlando Thursday as the warnings got worse.

"As the predictions got worse today I got really nervous to stay, so we packed up in 20 minutes and just grabbed what we could and left," Katie Ainsley told NBC News.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott and other authorities warned residents repeatedly that the hurricane is potentially life-threatening. Palm Bay is on the coast expected to be hit by the hurricane, while Orlando is further inland. At first she and her family figured Orlando would be hit just as hard, but they left as predictions grew more dire.

"We got to Orlando just before the first bands of rain [and] wind started," she said. "We expect to get bad weather here, too — but hopefully not as bad."

— Terri Peters

Katie Ainsley and family on their way out of dodge. Courtesy of Ainsley family

Hurricane? Yes, Bartender, I'll Have Another

At the "Ole Fire and Grill" in Melbourne, Florida, the owner and patrons seemed perfectly happy to get a little wet. It was the only such establishment MSNBC's Craig Melvin could find open in the area as Hurricane Matthew barreled towards the Florida Coast.

U.S. Military Mobilized for Hurricane Matthew

Military officials on Thursday evening released numbers for what resources were being moved both in and out of the massive deadly storm.

National Guard

Florida:

• 2,500 Soldiers and Airmen activated to provide search and rescue, reconnaissance, high-wheeled vehicle and security support
• More than 6,000 Soldiers and Airmen from National Guard available for support if directed by the Governor.
• 4,000 personnel from other states can be mobilized through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC).
• The Florida Air National Guard is evacuating F-15 fleet out of the path of the storm.

South Carolina:

• Up to 2,000 National Guard activated Oct 5 to assist with evacuations.

North Carolina:

• 300 National Guard on standby notification

SOUTHCOM

• 9 helicopters deployed by (approx. 100 passengers) to Port-au-Prince by Joint Task Force Bravo and the Special Purpose Marine Air Ground TF.

Navy Ships

• USS Mesa Verde (amphibious troop carrier) and USS George Washington (aircraft carrier) departed Norfolk, Virginia on Oct 4, and are ready to respond.
• USNS Comfort (medical ship) departed Norfolk on Oct. 5 and is transiting to an area clear of the hurricane in case they are tasked to support.
• USS Anzio (missile cruiser) USS Montgomery (combat ship), and USS Iwo Jima (amphibious assault ship) deployed from Mayport, Florida Oct. 5 to avoid the storm.
• USS Zephyr (patrol ship) and USS Shamal (patrol ship) have moved to a safe berth in the Naval Station Mayport basin; USS Tornado (patrol ship) and USS Farragut (destroyer) will remain in dry-dock for maintenance.
• USS The Sullivans (missile destroyer), USS New York (amphibious troop carrier), USS Fort McHenry (dock landing ship), and USS Milwaukee (combat ship) will shelter in place in the Naval Station Mayport basin.

Navy Aircraft

• H-60 helicopters based in Mayport have been moved Jacksonville, FL.
• P-3/P-8s in Jacksonville have departed for Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City.

Navy personnel

• 700 (approx) spouses and children with approx. 70 pets were evacuated from Guantanamo Bay to Pensacola, Florida, last weekend via four C-17s and two C-130s.
• 4,800 (approx) personnel remain sheltered in place in Guantanamo Bay, including 61 detainees.

Air Force air craft evacuations

• Patrick Air Force Base has entered Hurricane Condition II (HURCON II) in preparation for Hurricane Matthew. Patrick AFB released all non-mission essential
• Charleston AFB is beginning the evacuation of 29 aircraft today and they will go to Wright Patterson AFB, Barksdale AFB and Campbell AAF, Kentucky.
• Joint Base Langley-Eustis About 44 F-22 Raptor and T-38 Talon aircraft, along with 100 support personnel have been moved to Rickenbacker Air National Guard Base in Ohio.
• Seymour Johnson and Shaw Air Force Bases are evacuating their assigned aircraft to Barksdale AFB, Louisiana.
• Air Force assistance 557th Weather Wing at Offutt is providing local officials with the latest info on the storm track and projected impacts
• Hurricane Hunters from the Air Force Reserve's 403rd Wing are supporting the National Hurricane Center.
• 200 airmen from Air Force Special Operations Command are prepared to support relief efforts in the Caribbean if tasked by U.S. Southern Command.
• The 621st Contingency Response Wing deployed a 34-member team this morning from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. to set up command and control, airfield assessment, aerial port, aircraft maintenance, contracting, and security forces to Port Au Prince International Airport, Haiti. Another team is scheduled to deploy Friday.

Marines

• Approximately 6,000 recruits in training evacuated from Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island to Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany. Non-essential military personnel, non-essential civilian employees, and their family residing in the local area were given authorization Oct 4 to evacuate to a safe location.
• MCAS Cherry Point — No plans to evacuate personnel or aircraft
• MCAS Beaufort — Evacuation of non-essential personnel authorized; MAG-31 aircraft hangared w/ limited number leaving.
• MCLB Albany - No planned evacuations.

Watch Researchers Recreate Hurricane-Force Winds

At the University of Maryland's wind tunnel, researchers recreate hurricane-force winds with the goal of better engineering homes, power lines and harbors.

NBC News' Tom Costello got a face full.

Watch below:

Some Floridians Ignore Evacuation Orders, Choose to Ride Out Storm

With more than 1.5 million people under mandatory evacuation in Florida, some Nettles Island residents tell NBC News why they're staying put.

"It may be a little bit selfish, but I need to protect my things," said Dave Haller.

See more below:

Florida's Space Coast Hunkers Down Ahead of Matthew

Florida's Space Coast is bracing for Hurricane Matthew.

A team of 116 employees from NASA, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and their commercial space partners are riding out the storm at the Kennedy Space Center's Emergency Operations Center.

"Everyone has a position in the emergency operations center," George Diller, a public affairs officer at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, told NBC News.

"We have brought in food and cots we are going to put down tonight and blankets and pillows, so we are basically here until it's over," he said.

Fla. Voter Registration Will Not Be Extended, South Carolina Will

Republican Florida Governor Rick Scott on Thursday evening said the state will not extend an October 11 voter registration deadline.

"I'm not going to extend it," Scott said at a news conference on the storm. "Everybody has had plenty of time to register. I don't intend to make any changes."

Speaking to NBC News' Andrea Mitchell earlier Thursday, Hillary Clinton campaign spokesman Robby Mook had said they hoped Scott would move the deadline.

"We'll get back to campaigning when it is appropriate," Mook said. "Our hope would be that a little bit more time will be given for people who were expecting to be able to get registered before the election."

Scott currently serves as national chairman of pro-Trump Super PAC Rebuilding America Now.

Meanwhile, South Carolina officials extended their voter registration deadline to October 11.