Bulloch emergency officials watch Matthew

Statesboro hotels fully booked with hurricane evacuees

People in vehicles make an evacuation route over 520 bridge heading west from Merritt Island, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016, as Hurricane Matthew approaches Florida. - photo by Associated Press

Tropical Weather 2 — People in vehicles make an evacuation route over 520 bridge heading west from Merritt Island, Fla., Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2016, as Hurricane Matthew approaches Florida. - photo by Associated Press

Local schools and Georgia Southern University will close Friday, Statesboro hotels are booked with no vacancies for the weekend, and traffic on Interstate 16 is already becoming heavy as people evacuate in the face of Hurricane Matthew. Bulloch County Public Safety Director Ted Wynn said that as of Wednesday afternoon, the storm's maximum sustained winds were at 120 mph, making Matthew a Category 3 hurricane. Wynn said the hurricane was moving northwest at 12 mph late Wednesday, where it was swirling over the Bahamas.