Disneyland Florida has closed its doors for the first time in eleven years, as the sunshine state battens down the hatches in preparation for Hurricane Matthew.
As more than three million people are evacuated from Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina, President Obama has declared a state of emergency ahead of the Category Three storm, with winds of up to 130mph expected in the coming hours.
Fort Lauderdale and Orlando airports have shut down, with more than 3,000 flights cancelled between yesterday and today.
In a statement, Disney World said “theme parks, water parks, Disney Springs, Disney’s miniature golf course and ESPN Wild World Sports Complex will be closed by 5pm today and will remain closed through Friday, October 7th.”
Universal Studios and Sea World Orlando will also remain closed until safety officials give the green light to reopen. Guests currently staying at Disney resorts have been warned to remain indoors.
“The storm has already killed people.” warned Florida governor Rick Scott. “We should expect the same impact in Florida,”
According to CNN, the warnings being used in preparation for Hurricane Matthew show that the situation could potentially be as serious as Hurricane Katrina.
At least 330 people have already been killed in the Caribbean, most of whom died in Haiti.
“That many people died because they never believed what the authorities told them when they said they had to evacuate,” Jean Senozier Despreux, who lives and works in Les Cayes, told The New York Times. “They resisted it.”
In the Haitian city of Jérémie, more than 80 per cent of the buildings were completely decimated. Haiti’s interior minister said he expected the death toll to be much higher once it is fully assessed.
If you stay in #Matthew evacuation zone, it will likely be one of worst decisions of your life. May also be last decision you’ll ever make.
— Gary Szatkowski (@GarySzatkowski) October 6, 2016
The storm battered the Bahamas, Jamaica and the Dominican Republic, devastating homes, crops and communities.
Landfall is expected in Florida this morning.
