More than 800 people have been killed in Haiti and four in the Dominican Republic
Matthew is now a Category Two hurricane, as the eye of the storm stays just off Florida coast
Four people have been killed in Florida and more than a million left without power
Flooding could be severe in coastal areas of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina
North Carolina could also be affected as the storm moves north in days ahead
The first US death directly related to the storm has been confirmed in Daytona Beach, Florida.
A woman in her 60s went outside to feed her animals after the storm had subsided and was struck by a falling tree, according to Jim Dinneen, Volusia County manager.
More than 800 are dead in Haiti after Matthew devastated the region.
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The Florida Public Service Commission announced more than a million residents were without power as of 15:00 ET (20:00 GMT).
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President Obama urged Americans to help the people of Haiti, where the impact of the hurricane has been much worse than in the US.
But for some of Americans, the hurricane has meant other priorities:
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Image source, twitterAnd food was a priority as well as coffee
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Image source, twitterAnd then: what and how to watch
Image source, facebookAnd those who weren’t worried about their stomachs or the TV were fretting about holiday plans
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Image source, twitterMeanwhile, one company in Miami found a silver lining to the weather - offering a discount on Botox to deal with all those stress lines
Image source, instagramSteven Dial, a reporter with Jacksonville's First Coast News network, has been out in the streets of Jacksonville Beach - that right now, due to powerful storm surge, resemble rivers.
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Here's another video by one of his colleagues:
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And another view of the city:
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Across social media, there are growing numbers of reports of serious storm surge damage in some Florida cities - Daytona Beach, St Augustine and Jacksonville Beach in particular.
On the plus side, high tide peaked about two hours ago in that area - but the risk of storm surge of up to 9ft remains high in cities to the north.
Image source, Getty ImagesWater covers Beach Street in Daytona Beach, Florida
Image source, Getty ImagesA pump station at a gas station lies on the ground
The US National Weather Service put together this video to explain what storm surge is:
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Image source, Getty ImagesThe International Speedway Boulevard in Daytona Beach is experiencing flooding
The National Hurricane Center has just put out an update: the hurricane is some 25 miles (40km) east-northeast of Ormond Beach, Florida, and some 60 miles from Jacksonville.
They also note that maximum wind speeds are sustained at 115mph (185km/h).
The storm surge is now much more likely than the wind to cause damage and injury.
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This dramatic footage was filmed by a local CBS News producer in the city of Jacksonville Beach, to the east of the main city of Jacksonville.
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And here, scientists at Nasa explain the science behind the hurricane:
Image source, Getty ImagesThe western cities of Les Cayes and Jeremie, pictured, suffered the full force of the storm
Image source, Getty ImagesClick here to read our latest article on Haiti, where the death toll is now more than 800.
Laura Bicker, BBC News, New Smyrna Beach
There's nothing to do here but watch and wait. For 12 hours our shelter has been battered by wind and rain. It feels relentless.
Occasionally you hear the crack of a tree as a gust rips down branches or you see debris whipping past the window.
The sound of the wind is the eeriest. At its worst it rivals the noise of a diesel train.
It whips up the water making it difficult to tell whether you're being hit by driving rain or sea spray.
Most people here seem to have taken the warnings seriously. Windows and doors have been boarded up as prime beach front property is abandoned in favour of safer ground.
No one is out on the streets and a curfew remains in place until tomorrow morning. The real fear here is of a storm surge and coastal flooding.
Matthew is also proving to be unpredictable and the storm is taking its time to move up the coast.
That means no one is really sure if the worst is over. As I said... nothing to do now but watch and wait and hope that Florida will be out of danger soon.
The USS Mesa Verde is on its way to Haiti to help the relief effort with three heavy lift helicopters, bulldozers, fresh water, food, medicine and first aid supplies, the US Navy says. The ship also has a surgical team which can work out of two operating rooms on board.
More than 800 people are now known to have been killed in Haiti by the hurricane that struck on Tuesday.
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A journalist in the city, that is bearing the brunt of the winds, is hosting a Facebook Live session:
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News channel in Jacksonville tweets...
Image source, Debris is removed from a street in Cocoa, near Orlando.Workers are out on the streets in parts of Florida where the hurricane has passed by. Here debris is removed from a street in Cocoa, near Cape Canaveral.
Florida Governor Rick Scott has requested that President Obama declare a major disaster for the state as a result of the storm, his office says. If approved, it will provide federal resources to support recovery efforts. Governor Scott added: "This storm has now impacted a little over half of our east coast, and we expect to see severe impacts as it approaches north-east Florida. We will not hesitate to get our communities the resources they need to respond to families and we will continue to make requests to the federal government as needed."