WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — President Barack Obama signed an emergency declaration for the US state of South Carolina in anticipation of Hurricane Matthew making landfall in the United States on Thursday night, the White House said in a press release.
"The President today declared an emergency exists in the State of South Carolina and ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal, and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Matthew," the release stated on Thursday.
The order authorizes the US Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts and makes federal funds available for emergency purposes.
Earlier on Thursday, Governor Nikki Haley urged South Carolina residents to speed up evacuations from coastal areas as the storm approaches.
Hurricane Matthew is expected to hit the state of Florida on Thursday night as a category 4 storm.
Conditions in South Carolina are forecast to worsen Friday night, with the heaviest impact of Hurricane Matthew likely to occur on Saturday.
