This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/04/world/americas/hurricane-matthew-haiti-jamaica-cuba.html

The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 2 Version 3
Hurricane Matthew Expected to Hit Haiti; Storm Could Be ‘Catastrophic’ Hurricane Matthew, Expected to Hit Haiti, Could Be ‘Catastrophic’
(about 4 hours later)
A dangerous Category 4 hurricane is heading for Haiti, and is expected to hit by Monday night. Flash floods, mudslides and winds up to 140 miles an hour threaten residents there and in several other Caribbean nations. Hurricane Matthew, a dangerous Category 4 storm, is heading for Haiti and is expected to hit by Monday night. Flash floods, mudslides and winds up to 140 miles an hour threaten residents there and in several other Caribbean nations.
“The potential for Haiti is what I would describe as catastrophic,” said Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist and spokesman for the National Hurricane Center in Miami.“The potential for Haiti is what I would describe as catastrophic,” said Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist and spokesman for the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
As of 8 a.m. Monday, Hurricane Matthew was about 200 miles south of Kingston, Jamaica, with gusts exceeding 130 miles per hour, the center said. As of 5 p.m. Monday, Hurricane Matthew was about 195 miles southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, with gusts exceeding 135 miles per hour, the center said.
The hurricane is on course to hit Jamaica, eastern Cuba, the Bahamas and Turks and Caicos on Tuesday, and the Dominican Republic will likely experience tropical storm conditions. The storm is expected to remain powerful through early Wednesday. The hurricane is on course to hit Cuba, Jamaica and the Bahamas on Tuesday. The Turks and Caicos could also be hit, and the Dominican Republic will most likely experience tropical storm conditions.
Here is what it looked like in Les Cayes, Haiti, early on Monday.Here is what it looked like in Les Cayes, Haiti, early on Monday.
The flooding could be deadly. Southern Haiti and the southwest Dominican Republic were expected to receive 15 to 25 inches of rain, with up to 40 inches in some places. Storm surges and big waves could raise water levels by up to 15 feet in some areas. The flooding could be deadly. Southern Haiti and the southwestern Dominican Republic were expected to receive 15 to 25 inches of rain, with up to 40 inches in some places. Storm surges and big waves could raise water levels by up to 15 feet in the Bahamas.
The storm will move north into the Atlantic later this week, but Mr. Feltgen said it was still too early to tell if the United States faced any danger. The hurricane is expected to remain dangerous through the next five days, the center said. It forecast “very dangerous” beach and boating conditions along much of the East Coast of the United States throughout this week and weekend.
A satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, taken at 4:45 a.m. eastern time on Sunday, showed the storm over the south-central Caribbean Sea. Operation Blessing International, a charity that operates in Haiti, warned on Monday that an outbreak of cholera could quickly follow intense flooding.
“”Based on the rainfall predictions and how slow this storm is moving, we fear that Matthew will bring a tsunami of cholera cases unseen since post-earthquake days,” the group said in a statement.
On Monday afternoon, NASA posted video from the International Space Station showing the storm from 250 miles above.
A satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, taken at 4:45 a.m. Eastern time on Sunday, showed the storm over the south-central Caribbean Sea.
As Matthew churned northward, forecasting models suggested an increasing threat to the East Coast. The governors of Florida and North Carolina declared emergencies, and officials worried that the storm could shift rapidly westward, potentially leaving little time for evacuations.
“Although Matthew is not projected at this time to directly impact Florida, that could quickly change,” Gov. Rick Scott said in Hialeah, near Miami. He said state officials were especially concerned about the Interstate 95 corridor.
Mr. Scott emphasized the wobbling, shifting path of the storm, which could begin causing problems in Florida as soon as Wednesday. He pleaded with residents to prepare for Matthew.
Evoking the memory of one of Florida’s worst storms, Mr. Scott warned that a direct hit could lead to damage rivaling that of Hurricane Andrew in 1992, which killed 15 people in Florida and left the state with what was then estimated at $25 billion in destruction.