Hurricane Matthew in 2016 was one of the most destructive Atlantic hurricanes in recent history, posing an extreme threat to the Southeastern United States. The storm tracked across the Caribbean, causing widespread devastation before turning toward the U.S. East Coast. As millions evacuated, the central question for Florida residents was the storm’s exact intensity as it approached the shoreline. Its proximity and sustained strength made it a historically significant event for the Florida peninsula, directly influencing severe warnings and preparation efforts.
Defining the Storm’s Intensity Near Florida
Hurricane Matthew maintained Category 4 intensity during its closest approach to the central Florida coast. On the night of October 6, 2016, as the storm’s center approached the area between West Palm Beach and Cape Canaveral, maximum sustained winds were estimated to be 130 mph. However, the hurricane did not make an official landfall in Florida while possessing this major hurricane status. Instead, the center of Matthew’s eye tracked just offshore, paralleling the coastline as close as 25 miles from the shore in Brevard County.
The western edge of the storm’s eyewall, which contains the strongest winds, did scrape the Florida coast near Cape Canaveral. The storm briefly weakened to a Category 3 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 120 mph, as it moved near Vero Beach and Daytona Beach on the morning of October 7. For a prolonged period, the Florida coast was subjected to the impacts of a major hurricane (Category 4 or Category 3), even without the eye crossing the shore. A major hurricane is defined as any system reaching Category 3 intensity or higher.
Understanding the Saffir-Simpson Scale
The category of a hurricane is determined using the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, which classifies tropical cyclones based solely on their maximum sustained wind speed. This scale uses a 1-to-5 rating system to estimate the potential property damage that wind could inflict. The wind speeds are measured using a one-minute average at a standard height.
Hurricanes reaching Category 3 status are defined by sustained winds between 111 and 129 miles per hour and are considered “major hurricanes” due to their potential for devastating damage. At this level, well-built framed homes can incur major damage, and electricity and water may be unavailable for weeks.
Category 4 hurricanes, the highest intensity Matthew reached near Florida, feature sustained winds ranging from 130 to 156 miles per hour. Winds in this range are capable of causing catastrophic damage, including severe structural failure and making residential areas uninhabitable for extended periods.
The Coastal Track and Category Fluctuations
Hurricane Matthew’s path along the Florida coast was a prolonged event, beginning in South Florida and extending north to the Georgia border. The storm approached the coastline with Category 4 intensity, prompting widespread evacuations and historic warnings. As it tracked north, the hurricane’s center remained just 30 to 40 miles off the shore.
This extremely close parallel track meant that the most intense parts of the storm, including the destructive eyewall, impacted coastal areas. The hurricane fluctuated in strength as it moved north, weakening from a Category 4 to a Category 3 near the Space Coast and continuing northward.
The storm maintained its major hurricane status until it was north of Jacksonville, Florida, when it was downgraded to a Category 2 hurricane off the Georgia coast. This movement subjected hundreds of miles of Florida’s coastline to hurricane-force wind gusts and significant storm surge, particularly in the northeastern part of the state.