3:55 p.m.
The rising Tar River is forcing the evacuation of Princeville, North Carolina, a town destroyed in flooding from Hurricane Floyd 17 years ago.
Edgecombe County announced on its Facebook page that a curfew will go into effect at 7 p.m. Sunday and they are bringing in buses to help get out the town's 2,000 residents.
The National Weather Service says the Tar River at nearby Tarboro is already nearly 6 feet above flood stage. It is forecast to crest Monday at nearly 36 feet, well into major flood stage but below the record 41.5-foot mark set in Floyd in 1999.
That flood destroyed nearly every one of the more than 700 homes in Princeville, the oldest town in the nation incorporated by freed slaves back in 1865.
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1:30 p.m.
Emergency officials say a 63-year-old woman clung to a tree for three hours after floodwaters from Hurricane Matthew swept her car into a canal in Wilson.
Wilson County Emergency Management Director Gordon Deno says the woman was on her way home from work at a long-term care facility where she's a nurse or a nursing assistant. She left about 11:30 p.m. Saturday, and her family called 911 when she didn't get to her home in nearby Wayne County.
Emergency responders sat on top of a Humvee as they retraced her route so they could look and listen for anyone in distress.
They heard someone "hollering" and tried to rescue her with a rope but couldn't. Deno says a National Guard soldier jumped in the water and swam to her, staying a rescued boat arrived.
She was tired and suffering from hypothermia so she was taken to a hospital. Deno didn't know if she's still there.
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12:05 p.m.
The Red Cross reports that nearly 4,000 people spent the night in shelters as Hurricane Matthew dumped rain across the eastern and central parts of North Carolina.
The Red Cross said in a statement that 3,824 people stayed in 80 Red Cross or partner shelters Saturday night because of power outages, flooded and closed roads, and water shortages.
The Red Cross expects the number of people in shelters to increase as people discover flood and storm damage to their homes.
The agency said 14 emergency response vehicles were going into communities Sunday to distribute food and cleanup kits to residents.
More than 180 Red Cross volunteers are involved in the efforts.
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11:50 a.m.
The U.S. Coast Guard has rescued 10 people in North Carolina, including eight from rooftops in Pinetops in Edgecombe County, as state reels from the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew.
The Coast Guard says in a news release that an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Elizabeth City on Sunday morning and took the eight people to Pitt-Greenville Airport.
In addition, the Coast Guard rescued two people stranded Saturday night when their fishing vessel ran aground in Shallotte. Officials say the two were stranded on a marshy island in the Lockwood Folly River.
A crew from Savannah, Georgia, hoisted the two about midnight and took them to the airport in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Their vessel, Kokopia, remains aground with 300 gallons of diesel fuel aboard.
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11:30 a.m.
Transportation officials in North Carolina are making progress in reopening parts of Interstate 40 after flooding from Hurricane Matthew.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation reported on its website Sunday that there are now only two shutdowns on I-40. A three-mile stretch of the highway is still blocked east of Raleigh in Wake County. There's also a three-mile shutdown of I-40 east of Benson in Johnston County.
Interstate 95 was still blocked in four different places. Closures were reported on five miles in Robeson County near Lumberton. An eight-mile stretch was closed near Benson in Johnston County. An exit was blocked at Selma, also in Johnston County. A 15-mile stretch was closed near Fayetteville in Cumberland County.
Flooding from the storm has also closed numerous smaller roads around the eastern and central parts of North Carolina.
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11:10 a.m.
Matthew continues to move away from North Carolina, leaving behind a toll of least seven deaths, four people missing, and thousands of homes damaged by flooding rains.
The National Hurricane Center said late Sunday morning that Post Tropical Cyclone Matthew was about 100 miles east of Cape Hatteras and moving east at 15 miles an hour. Highest winds were still 75 mph.
A hurricane watch was dropped for North Carolina, but a tropical storm warning remained in effect from Cape Fear up to Duck on the Outer Banks. That warning still included both Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds.
Forecasters warned that tropical storm conditions were still possible in the area Sunday afternoon. But rains were ending in most of the area by midday Sunday.
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10:10 a.m.
Gov. Pat McCrory has signed an expedited major disaster declaration that he says will help the state recover from the damage caused by Hurricane Matthew.
McCrory said at a news conference Sunday that he has asked President Obama to sign the declaration that he said will do things such as help people who don't have flood insurance and help the state repair bridges and roads and get rid of debris.
He says rainfall totals topped 16 inches in Tar Heel in Bladen County; 15 inches in Goldsboro; 12 inches in Fayetteville, Lumberton and Smithfield; 9 inches in Raleigh and Rocky Mount; and 6 inches in Wilmington. In many places, ground was already saturated from previous heavy rain.
He says more than 4,200 people are in shelters, and more than 880 rescues have occurred, including more than 560 in Cumberland County alone. He noted that the National Guard rescued a nurse clinging to a tree Saturday night in Wilson.
In addition, 911 systems are down in five counties: Currituck, Bladen, Moore, Columbus and Robeson. He says that's a serious issue, especially if people are trapped.
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9:55 a.m.
Officials in Cumberland County say they still have more than 500 people in shelters after the flooding from Hurricane Matthew.
County Commission Chairman Marshal Faircloth says the county is in a "dire situation" after flooding from the storm that resulted in more than 225 water rescue missions that saved 574 people Saturday and Sunday morning.
Emergency services director Randy Beeman says it's important for people to stay home after the storm. He said seven swift water rescue teams were still available in the area for additional rescues.
Officials say four people are missing.
Mayor Nat Robertson says some restaurants are closed because of damage to the water system.
He said many streets are impassable.
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9:40 a.m.
Flooding from Hurricane Matthew has closed several interstate highways in North Carolina.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation reported Sunday morning that Interstate 95 was blocked in four different places. Closures were reported on five miles in Robeson County near Lumberton. An eight-mile stretch was closed near Benson in Johnston County. An exit was blocked at Selma, also in Johnston County. A 15-mile stretch was closed near Fayetteville in Cumberland County.
Interstate 40 also had road closures. A three-mile stretch was closed east of Raleigh in Wake County. A seven-mile stretch was closed east of Benson in Johnston County. A three-mile stretch was closed near Warsaw in Duplin County and an exit was closed in Saint Helena in Pender County.
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9:20 a.m.
North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory says the death toll from Hurricane Matthew has increased from three to seven.
McCrory said Sunday morning that the state faces "major destruction" after the storm. He has asked the federal government for more help.
McCrory said there have been more than 800 water rescues, not only along coastal areas but inland as well.
Four people are missing in Fayetteville in the floods.
Matthew was downgraded from a hurricane to a post-tropical cyclone early Sunday.
McCrory said that "the storm is not over for North Carolina."
The governor said more than 760-thousand customers are without electricity in the state.
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9:05 a.m.
Cumberland County officials say four people are missing in the flooding that resulted as Hurricane Matthew moved off the North Carolina coast.
Officials said that 574 people were saved in the county during 227 swift-water rescue missions Saturday and Sunday.
Officials also said that Cumberland County schools will be closed Monday as recovery from the storm continues.
County offices and courts will also be closed while flood waters recede.
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8:15 a.m.
Brunswick County emergency officials say about 100 guests and workers had to be evacuated during Hurricane Matthew from a Comfort Inn motel in the North Carolina coastal town of Southport because the roof was at risk of collapsing. Emergency Services Director Brian Watts said the hurricane 's winds Saturday night caused a load-bearing wall to crack and the roof was in imminent danger of collapsing. Watts said everyone was safely removed from the motel about three miles from the coast and spent the night in a Red Cross shelter.
He said shortly after dawn Sunday that reports were only beginning to filter in, but he expected some of the worst damage to be centered on Southport and the neighboring barrier island communities of Caswell Beach and Oak Island.
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7:50 a.m.
What was Hurricane Matthew is heading out to sea, but it's leaving behind flooding across North Carolina and at least three deaths.
The National Weather Service downgraded Matthew to a post-tropical cyclone early Sunday. At 5 a.m., the storm was 30 miles southeast of Cape Hatteras and was moving east at 14 mph.
A hurricane watch was still in effect was Surf City to Duck on the Outer Banks, including Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds. A tropical storm warning was in effect from Cape Fear to Duck, including the sounds.
Forecasters said the storm should be well east of the coast Sunday afternoon.
But there are serious flooding problems across much of eastern and even central North Carolina.
Gov. Pat McCrory planned to update the situation at a 9 a.m. briefing.
8:15 p.m.
Matthew is still a weak hurricane off the North Carolina coast and is causing record-breaking flooding in the state.
At 8 p.m. EDT, the center of the storm was about 40 miles east of Cape Fear and had sustained winds of about 75 mph. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the storm is expected to weaken.
Forecasters say they are receiving numerous reports of flooded homes, businesses and roads in Raleigh.
At least 10 people have been killed in the U.S., including three in North Carolina.
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5:30 p.m.
At least a couple of dozen people are stranded on Interstate 95 after their vehicles got caught on a stretch of road between two parts of the flooded highway.
North Carolina Highway Patrol Troopers are working to help 25 vehicles. The Department of Public Safety said Saturday that the vehicles were stuck but didn't offer further details. It said the motorists were near Wilson.
Elsewhere, the Department of Transportation has closed stretches of Interstate 95 and parts of Interstate 40 after Hurricane Matthew drenched the state.
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3:10 p.m.
A third fatality related to harsh weather brought on by Hurricane Matthew has been reported in Georgia, bringing the U.S. death toll from the storm to 10.
Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police said in a statement Saturday that they are investigating the death of a man at his home, possibly from structural damage caused by a fallen tree.
Two other deaths in Georgia occurred in Bulloch County. Three deaths have been reported in North Carolina, and four have occurred in Florida.
Those numbers pale in comparison to Haiti, which counted 470 dead in one district alone when Hurricane Matthew swept through the Caribbean island as a Category 4 storm. It has since weakened to a Category 1.
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2:50 p.m.
Five new deaths have been reported in the Southeast in the wake of Hurricane Matthew. That brings the death toll in the United States from the storm to nine.
Gov. Pat McCrory said Saturday that the hurricane killed three people in North Carolina.
McCrory said at a press conference that "this is a very, very serious and deadly storm."
In Georgia, Bulloch County deputy coroner Richard Pylant said two people died there. One of the casualties was a 68-year-old man who was home alone when two trees fell on his home.
Officials have previously reported four deaths in Florida.
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1 p.m.
North Carolina officials say emergency responders have conducted eight water rescues from cars and homes in Cumberland County. More are expected as the threat from Hurricane Matthew increases.
Officials said in a news release Saturday that roads and drainage ditches in the county and Fayetteville are filling with water, making driving treacherous. Businesses are being encouraged to close early so workers can get home before additional roads become impassable.
The National Weather Service said 8.5 inches of rain have fallen in Fayetteville in about 12 hours, starting a midnight. The ground there was already saturated from heavy rains last week.
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12:15 p.m. EDT
Property data firm CoreLogic projects that Hurricane Matthew's grind across the Southeast will end up costing between $4 billion and $6 billion in insured losses on residential and commercial properties.
The firm's estimate covers storm surge and wind damage, which it anticipates will account for 90 percent of insurance claims related to the storm. CoreLogic's estimate doesn't include insured property losses related to additional flooding, business interruption or other factors.
The firm also projects that the hurricane will end up damaging roughly 1.5 million residential and commercial properties in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
Hurricane Matthew's estimated losses are a fraction of those racked up by Superstorm Sandy, which barreled into the Northeast in 2012, and Hurricane Katrina, which swept through Louisiana and nearby states in 2005.
CoreLogic says Superstorm Sandy's insured property losses reached up to $20 billion, while Katrina's hit as high as $40 billion.
Earlier this week, the nonprofit Consumer Federation of America, estimated that insurance claim payouts from damage caused by Hurricane Matthew would likely exceed $7.5 billion.
12:30 p.m.
The White House says President Barack Obama has spoken with the governors of the four states being hardest hit by Hurricane Matthew.
Obama spoke separately Saturday to Govs. Nathan Deal of Georgia, Nikki Haley of South Carolina, Pat McCrory of North Carolina and Rick Scott of Florida. The White House says Obama reiterated his commitment to provide federal to help the states respond to the storm.
Obama had already declared emergencies in the four states and ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal, and local response efforts.
Obama spoke with the governors from Chicago, where he is undertaking a round of fundraisers for Democratic candidates.
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11:05 a.m.
The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Matthew has made landfall in South Carolina.
The center said in a news release Saturday morning that the storm's center made landfall just southeast of the town of McClellanville.
The NHC says a "serious inland flooding event" is taking place.
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11 a.m.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley is warning residents to watch for fraudulent emails that have shown up as Hurricane Matthew moved along the coast.
The governor said Saturday that people are receiving emails stating that they have an update on power outages. Haley said the email provides a link to get the update.
The governor said those who click on the link have opened their computer to hackers.
Haley says it's important for people to be sure they recognize the sender of emails before opening them. She says those from unknown senders should be deleted.
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10:25 a.m.
Cassandra Coleman says she and her boyfriend were driving along Georgia's President Street, which links downtown Savannah to Tybee Island, when they saw a woman wading through floodwaters early Saturday.
It turned out to be a homeless woman whose tent got washed away when Hurricane Matthew struck.
The shivering woman made it to the water's edge. The woman identified herself as Valerie and said she was homeless. She said she had nine children but was unable to evacuate with them.
She said she weathered the storm under a tent near an overpass that crosses the low-lying road. But then floodwaters washed it away.
"It wiped out our tent, our tarp and washed away all our blankets and clothes," she said.
A bystander offered to assist her in finding help.
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9:30 a.m.
Hurricane Matthew's fury was being felt Saturday on Hilton Head Island, where power was out and the two roads onto the resort island were blocked by trees.
Water swamped roads in many areas, and there was extensive damage, much of it from the island's well-known pine trees.
Chandler Brunson and her fiance were among several people on the island trying to make it back home after they evacuated.
Brunson tried several different ways to get to her home in an SUV, but they were all blocked.
"I think we're going to have a pine tree splitting our house," Brunson said. "That's what I'm afraid of."
Emergency officials left the island Friday afternoon and had not returned at 8 a.m. Saturday
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8 a.m.
Hurricane Matthew has weakened to a Category 1 storm but still remains a threat to the coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said Saturday morning that Matthew was centered about 20 miles (30 kilometers) south-southeast of Charleston, South Carolina.
Its maximum sustained winds have dropped to 85 mph (140 kph), with hurricane-force winds extending up to 45 miles (75 kilometers) from the center.
Matthew's strong winds and storm surge were battering the South Carolina coast early Saturday, and heavy rain and high winds were spreading inland. The storm's center is expected to be near the coast of southern North Carolina by Saturday night.
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4:25 a.m.
Hurricane Matthew is making itself felt in South Carolina. Hurricane-force winds are moving onshore at Hilton Head and Pritchards Island, South Carolina, the National Hurricane Center reports. At least one wind gust of 61 mph (98 kph) was recorded at Beaufort, South Carolina.
Matthew remains a Category 2 hurricane and is moving north off the coast, centered about 30 miles (130 km) south-southwest of Hilton Head.
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2 a.m.
Hurricane Matthew continues to move north off the Georgia coast and its center is forecast to move near or over the South Carolina coast Saturday morning, the National Hurricane Center reports. The Category 2 hurricane will near North Carolina's southern coast by Saturday night, the center says.
Matthew has sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph), and is 45 miles (70 kilometers) south of Hilton Head, South Carolina. It is moving north about 12 mph (19 kph).
