Spotswood Mayor Nicholas Poliseno was on vacation with his family when the storm hit.
Spotswood Mayor Nicholas Poliseno was on vacation with his family in the Bahamas when Hurricane Matthew blew over the islands.
With wind gusts of 120 mph, Poliseno said he bunkered down with his wife and two daughters at the Atlantis Hotel & Casino, Paradise Island, Nassau.
The mayor posted a message on his Facebook page on Thursday saying, "Hurricane Matthew is now pounding us at 6 AM with 90 mph sustained winds and gusts of about 120 mph. This is only the beginning of the worst yet to come."
He noted the loud noises and turbulent conditions had been frightening his two daughters.
The category 3 hurricane began clobbering coastal Florida early Friday morning with torrential rain and powerful winds devastating the region. The storm is heading up the coast toward South Carolina.
In Florida, more than 270,000 homes and businesses in Florida are without power.
Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.