A WORKER at the South Wales Argus and his family have found themselves in the path of Hurricane Matthew in Florida.

Kevin Jones, 47, and his wife Rhian, 42, along with his two daughters Kyla, nine, and Darya, seven, were just over a week into a family holiday in Orlando when they were caught amidst the chaos.

Mr Jones said that he began receiving US government alerts over his phone on Thursday, warning people to prepare for the ensuing storm.

According to Mr Jones, winds had began to pick up at around 4pm American time before giving way to powerful gales and torrential rain three hours later.

But speaking yesterday, the IT specialist said the current situation along International Drive had "calmed down", which has allowed him to venture out and look for supplies.

"The hotel we're staying in isn't all inclusive, so it meant I had to go out and get things that we needed," said Mr Jones.

"While the winds aren't as strong as they were, a lot of the shops were boarded up and it was a mad rush to find supplies."

Despite the extreme weather, he said there was "minimal" visible damage in the vicinity of his hotel along International Drive yesterday, and that cars and people were moving around outside.

And despite the severity of the storm, the family from Ton Pentre - who are due to fly back to the UK next Wednesday - are remaining positive.

"We're all alright apart from a bit of cabin fever," Mr Jones added.

"We're just coping the best way that we can and making the best of a bad situation by playing cards and watching TV."

Popular tourist attractions surrounding the Jones' such as Walt Disney World closed at 5pm on Thursday in preparation for the storm.

Flights between the UK and Florida have been cancelled or delayed as Hurricane Matthew hit the 'Sunshine State', with the storm being described as the 'most powerful storm to threaten the US Atlantic coast in more than a decade'.

In a note on its website, Orlando International Airport said flight activity was expected to resume on Saturday, having ceased on Thursday evening.

Forecasters from the National Hurricane Centre have predicted that the storm will now push north and hug the coast of Georgia and South Carolina over the weekend before veering out to sea - possibly looping back towards Florida in the middle of next week as a tropical storm.