Obama: Hurricane Matthew ‘is still a serious storm’

President Obama on Friday urged residents in the path of Hurricane Matthew to take the storm “seriously,” saying the worst is yet to come. 

“This is still a really dangerous hurricane,” Obama told reporters in the Oval Office after receiving an update on Matthew. “The potential for storm surge, flooding, loss of life and severe property damage continues to exist.”

Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Director Craig Fugate and Homeland Security adviser Amy Pope briefed the president on the storm, which was only a few miles from hitting the northern coast of Florida on Friday morning. 

The president said the Category 3 hurricane has already caused “significant damage” in areas of South Florida, but the potential for widespread destruction exists in the Jacksonville area and parts of Georgia. 

Before the storm made landfall, Obama declared a state of emergency in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, allowing state and local authorities to use federal funds to boost their response efforts. 

Homeland Security and FEMA are coordinating disaster-relief agencies in affected areas. 

Obama pleaded with residents in affected areas to listen to local officials who issue evacuation orders. Dozens of people have been spotted in places like Daytona Beach, Fla., where people were told to leave. 

“People continue to need to follow the instructions of their local officials,” Obama said. “You need to pay attention to them. Do what they say. Do not be a holdout here, because we can always replace property, but we cannot replace lives.”