Hurricane Matthew: At least 140 people killed as deadly Carribean storm approaches US coast

Hatty Collier7 October 2016

Hurricane Matthew – the fiercest Carribean storm to hit in almost a decade – has now claimed the lives of at least 140 people, officials say.

Millions of people on America’s south-east coast have fled their homes with the storm now hitting 140mph as it approaches the US.

President Obama has declared a state of emergency across Florida

Officials said 136 people were killed in Haiti with four killed in the neighbouring Dominican Republic.

Matthew, whipped Cuba and Haiti on Tuesday and Wednesday with 140 mph winds and torrential rain, pummelling towns and destroying livestock, crops and homes and has grown in intensity since hitting the Bahamas on Thursday morning.

Cite-Soleil in Port-au-Prince, Haiti
REUTERS

The storm was "relentlessly pounding" the northwestern part of the island chain en route to Florida's Atlantic coast, the US National Hurricane Center said.

Officials said the hurricane was likely to remain a Category 4 storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale as it approached the United States, where it could either take direct aim at Florida or brush along the state's coast through Friday night.

It was too soon to predict where Matthew might do the most of its damage in the United States, but the National Hurricane Center's hurricane warning extended up the Atlantic coast from southern Florida through Georgia and into South Carolina.

Roads in Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina were gridlocked and petrol stations and food stores ransacked as Hurricane Matthew approached.

"Everyone in our state must prepare now for a direct hit," Florida Governor Scott told a news conference in Tallahassee yesterday.

"If Matthew directly impacts Florida, the destruction could be catastrophic and you need to be prepared.

"If you're reluctant to evacuate, just think about all the people... already killed.

"Time is running out. This is clearly either going to have a direct hit or come right along the coast, and we're going to have hurricane-force winds."

Scott, who activated several thousand National Guard troops to help deal with the storm, warned that millions of people were likely to be left without power.

Florida, Georgia and South Carolina opened shelters for evacuees.

Hundreds of passenger flights were cancelled in south Florida, and the cancellations were expected to spread north in coming days along the storm's path, airlines including American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines said.

Theme parks and other attractions in the central Florida city of Orlando such as Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Florida and SeaWorld were closing on Thursday afternoon and would remain closed through Friday.

Schools were closed across the region.

Hurricane Matthew hits Haiti

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In Florida, fuel stations posted "out of gas" signs after cars waited in long lines to fill up.

The shop was a stopping off point for coastal residents seeking shelter inland from the coast. Among them was Jonas Sylvan, 44, of Melbourne, Florida, who planned to hole up in a hotel with his wife, two daughters and dog.

"We're just trying to get away from the coast," he said. "It's safer here."

Bumper-to-bumper traffic extended for more than 10 miles (16 km) on the main highway leading west to Orlando from the coast.

In the central Florida coastal city of Jupiter, people scrambled to make preparations.

"Our house is wood construction, so who knows what will happen," said Libby Valentine, 75, of Jupiter. "The whole idea is to stay safe and hope you have the grace to deal with the aftermath because you might not have a house."

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