Hurricane of doom: Skull-shaped Matthew kills 11 in the Caribbean

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Evacuations have begun across Florida and South Carolina as the deadly, skull-shaped Hurricane Matthew bears down on the East Coast. Hundreds of thousands of families along the coast have either fled their homes or have been battening down the hatches in anticipation of the deadly storm which is now expected to make landfall in the U.S. by tomorrow.

'I cannot emphasize enough that everyone in our state must prepare now for a direct hit,' said Florida Gov. Rick Scott who has declared a state emergency. That means people have less than 24 hours to prepare, evacuate and shelter. Having a plan in place could mean the difference between life and death.'

People along the East Coast have been flocking to hardware stores, grocery aisles and gas stations to prepare for the devastating hurricane, while Florida coastal resorts, such as Daytona Beach, now resemble boarded-up ghost towns.

At least 11 people in the Caribbean have already died due to the storm including four in the Dominican Republic, and five in Haiti which were both pummeled by the hurricane yesterday. One person died in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and one in Colombia earlier this week.

Today the hurricane moved north, battering parts of Cuba and the Bahamas with 120mph winds, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.

Forecasters predicted Matthew will strengthen to a Category 4 hurricane, with speeds of more than 130mph by the times it hits Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. The National Hurricane Center expects the storm to hit southern Florida as early as Thursday.