Palm Beach County slammed by outer bands of Hurricane Matthew

More than 7,000 people went to shelters

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. – The outer bands of Hurricane Matthew passed through Palm Beach County on Thursday, bringing powerful winds and heavy rain to the area.

Palm Beach County, which is under a hurricane warning, experienced sustained winds of 46 mph, with gusts of 60 mph.

In Boca Raton, some people walked around the beach to get a glimpse of the storm. 

"It's nothing that extreme here, which is, thank God," a beachgoer said.

Some onlookers in Juno Beach swam in the ocean and were eventually were forced to leave as the weather became more intense. 

Multiple awning were ripped off of multiple storefronts in downtown West Palm Beach and a downed tree partially blocked U.S. Highway 1 in Jupiter.

As of 7 p.m., there were 7,100 people staying at Palm Beach County’s 13 shelters. A pet-friendly shelter at the West Boynton Recreation Center was over capacity. 

About 6,000 people lost power throughout the county.

Flights out of Palm Beach International Airport were discontinued, and the beach, government officers, libraries and public schools were closed Thursday.  


About the Authors:

Andrew Perez is a South Florida native who joined the Local 10 News team in May 2014.