Hurricane Matthew's coastal path makes it so frightening, experts say

Drivers make their way on an empty highway prior to the arrival of Hurricane Matthew in Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. October 6, 2016. REUTERS/Javier Galeano

(Reuters) - The coast-hugging path that forecasters expect Hurricane Matthew to take as it moves up the Atlantic seaboard on Friday and Saturday could make the storm one of the most devastating ever to hit the U.S. Southeast, according to experts.

If Matthew skirts the coast of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina as experts expect, rather than slamming directly into land as most hurricanes do, the storm would keep drawing energy from the warm ocean waters, fuelling its destructive force.