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| Latest Path of Hurricane Matthew |
Hurricane Matthew, the strongest
Caribbean storm in almost a decade, tore across the Bahamas on
Thursday, with the coastal U.S. lying in its path as forecasters made a
dire warning about some locations possibly being "uninhabitable for
weeks."
Nearly two million
people were under evacuation orders in Georgia, South Carolina and
Florida, where residents braced for a possible impact from the storm,
stocking up on supplies and boarding up homes. The National Weather
Service has advised that "loss of life" and "immense human suffering" is
possible from wind for those who do not take precaution for the storm.
"Catastrophic
damage" is also a possibility, and the storm could "leave areas
uninhabitable for weeks," the NWS announced Wednesday evening.
No other Atlantic storm on
record has packed such powerful winds for such a prolonged period as
Hurricane Matthew, which has claimed at least 16 lives after causing
extensive damages in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Cuba and bringing
widespread torrential rain and flooding to the region.
The
Category 3 hurricane is set to next slam the Bahamas with maximum
sustained winds of 115 mph. Matthew is expected to become a Category 4
storm again before approaching Florida with winds up to 130 mph,
according to an advisory issued at 11 p.m. ET Wednesday by the National Hurricane Center.
Nearly
3,500 tourists remain in the Bahamas. Up to 15 inches of rain and up to
15 foot storm surge is expected in the Bahamas today through Thursday.
The
storm weakened from a Category 4 hurricane after plowing into Haiti and
Cuba, where it left a trail of devastation. By nightfall on Tuesday,
the powerful storm was blamed for at 10 deaths in Haiti, which appears
to be the hardest-hit country. The U.S. military plans to send nine
helicopters and 100 personnel to Haiti today to assist in aid efforts.
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| Hurricane Matthew Leaves Devastation, Destruction in Haiti |
According
to the United Nations, more than 377,000 people were evacuated in Cuba.
And in Haiti, at least 350,000 people are in need of immediate
assistance following the hurricane's deadly impact. There were reports
of a powerful storm surge, violent winds and widespread flooding.
“In
Haiti, the government reports that a number of people have lost their
lives and estimates that at least 350,000 people need immediate
assistance," UN secretary-general spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said in a
statement.
Hospitals there are inundated with patients and are
running short of necessities, including water. Raging floodwaters
severed a key bridge linking the battered southern peninsula with the
rest of the impoverished Caribbean nation, raising fears that the worst
of the damage has yet to be discovered.
"Haiti is facing the
largest humanitarian event witnessed since the earthquake six years
ago," Mourad Wahba, the U.N. secretary general's deputy special
representative for Haiti, said in a statement, referring to the
devastating earthquake that killed some 200,000 people in January 2010.
USAID
administrator David Harden announced Wednesday a total of $1.5 million
in aid to the Caribbean in response to Hurricane Matthew. The total
includes $1 million of food aid in addition to $500,000 for the non-food
items such as shelter, blankets, hygiene kits, household items, and
water purification equipment. Harden said much of the aid will be
provided through the Catholic Relief Services and the American Red
Cross.
Following a briefing with his homeland security team at
FEMA headquarters in Washington, D.C., today, President Obama told
reporters Hurricane Matthew is “a serious storm, and we want everybody
to take it seriously as well.
"Just remember that you can always rebuild," Obama said. "You
can always repair property. You cannot restore a life if it is lost and
we want to make sure that we minimize any possible loss of life or risk
to people in these areas."
In Florida, a hurricane
warning has been issued north of the Flagler/Volusia county line to
Fernandina Beach, near the Georgia border. The coastal area north of
Savannah River in Georgia to Edisto Beach, South Carolina is under a
hurricane watch.
Destructive winds are expected in the Sunshine
State, with major coastal flooding possible from Palm Beach to
Fernandina Beach, as well as dangerous surf and rip currents. Some areas
could see 10 inches of rain and a 5-foot storm surge.
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| 4 Governors Issue States of Emergency as Hurricane Matthew Approaches |
The
governors of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina have
declared states of emergency, issuing stern warnings for millions of
coastal residents to prepare to evacuate as Hurricane Matthew moves
northwest at about 10 mph.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott said this could
be the largest evacuation ever in the Sunshine State. Scott requested
that President Barack Obama declare a pre-landfall emergency for the
state and to provide government aid in the form of food, water and
tarps. Scott also activated 2,500 members of the National Guard and
suspended all tolls in the affected areas of the state, including the
Florida Turnpike.
More than 200,000 Floridians are under mandatory
evacuations while another 1.3 million are under voluntary evacuations.
School has been canceled on Thursday and Friday for close to 2 million
Florida school children.
Long lines at gas stations
and empty shelves at grocery stores were reported in cities across the
southeast U.S. as residents stocked up on supplies and prepared to flee.
Many schools are also closed and people have boarded up their
beach-front homes.
“The storm did slow down, and it did move
somewhat, but we are not in stable territory yet," South Carolina Gov.
Nikki Haley said at a news conference this on Wednesday.
John
Tecklenburg, the mayor or Charleston, South Carolina, pleaded with
residents in evacuation zones to leave immediately, saying that those
who do not evacuate may not receive assistance.
"We want you to evacuate," Tecklenburg said. "We do not want you to stay."
FEMA
is urging residents in coastal communities to listen closely to state
and local officials’ guidance and to take evacuation orders seriously.
"This
is a major hurricane that has the potential to cause significant harm
to life and property. If instructed to evacuate, don’t wait for the next
forecast, evacuate," FEMA administrator W. Craig Fugate said.
Hurricane
Matthew is expected to take aim at Florida's east coast Thursday night
into Friday. The current forecast projects the storm will weaken as it
touches the Carolinas on Saturday before heading back out to sea Sunday
night.
"The path sharply turns east and out to sea without affecting the northeast coast," Golembo said. "Let's hope this holds."
By Friday night, Matthew will continue up the east coast, through Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina.
https://gma.yahoo.com/hurricane-matthew-continues-destructive-path-toward-us-11-094907183--abc-news-topstories.html#
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