National Guard forces were put on alert Tuesday, as Hurricane Matthew passed through the island nation of Haiti, on its way north towards Florida and the Carolinas.

The massive Category 4 hurricane battered the Caribbean with winds in excess of 140 miles per hour, smashing through parts of Cuba and killing at least seven in Haiti.

With Matthew expected to make landfall in the US Thursday evening, Florida Governor Rick Scott called upon residents to prepare for the worst.

“We have to be prepared for a major hurricane,” said Scott, calling the storm “extremely dangerous.”

“We have to prepare for a direct hit.”

“If you are able to leave early, leave now,” the governor added. “If Matthew directly impacts Florida, there will be massive destruction that we haven’t seen in years.”

Governor Scott has placed hundreds of National Guard members on alert, and will likely activate them Wednesday morning.

The hurricane is expected to hit Florida, south-eastern Georgia, and the coasts of South and North Carolina.

South Carolina officials warned that more than a million residents – more than a fifth of the state’s population – could be forced to evacuate.