Hurricane Matthew’s future path remains uncertain, but the National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Weather Outlook for New York City as the hurricane heads towards the southeastern portion of the United States.

Experts are having trouble tracking Hurricane Matthew but say that it could travel up the East Coast and begin to affect the northeast by the weekend. The storm made landfall on Tuesday morning in western Haiti as a Category 4 hurricane, with wind speeds reaching 145 mph.

Forecasters initially predicted that the storm would shift out to sea but over the last 24 hours, they have said that it could likely stay close to the East Coast. If New York were to become affected, it would likely not occur until Saturday with the possibility of strong wind gusts and heavy rainfall.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency and several county schools and offices in Florida announced that they will be closed on Thursday, Oct. 6 and Friday, Oct. 7.

Across Florida, residents have been scrambling to prepare for the worst by stocking up on water and nonperishable items, filling their gas tanks and, of course, putting up shutters.

In an earlier press conference, Scott warned residents to be prepared for a direct hit and also urged anyone living in low-lying areas to evacuate immediately, noting that having a plan could be the difference between life and death.

It was reported that four people were killed in the Dominican Republic and 13 in Haiti as a result of the storm.

On Wednesday afternoon, the hurricane was listed as a Category 3 and covered an area larger than the state of Texas. It is the most powerful storm to strike the Caribbean in nearly a decade.

New York will continue to be on high alert, waiting to see if the storm will head northwest and avoid bringing any serious impact to the city. More news as this storm develops.

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