The US space agency said, Hurricane Matthew lashed Nasa's rocket launch facility at Cape Canaveral, causing power outages and damaging roofs as heavy winds battered the Florida coast.

Rockets, spaceships and crucial equipment for the US space program and private companies like SpaceX are all stored in the area, which is home to the Kennedy Space Center (KSC).

Nasa's Sara Loff wrote on the US space agency's website, that, "At this time there is observed to be limited roof damage to KSC facilities, water and electrical utilities services have been disrupted and there is scattered debris."

By 9:45 am (1345 GMT), the worst of the storm had passed offshore from Cape Canaveral, Nasa said.About an hour earlier, around 8:30 am, Category 3 Matthew shaved past the Nasa launchpad just 26 miles (42 kilometers) off the tip of Cape Canaveral.

"All facilities at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station have been secured," said Nasa's Brian Dunbar.

"After the hurricane has passed and winds have dropped below 50 knots (about 58 mph), damage around the space center will be assessed," she wrote.

SpaceX said it was "closely monitoring the weather conditions and working with our partners at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station to safeguard facilities and personnel."

Also Read: Hurricane Matthew damages roofs at Nasa's launch center

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