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| Weakened Hurricane Matthew Makes Landfall in South Carolina | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Hurricane Matthew made landfall Saturday morning near McClellanville, S.C., about 30 miles northeast of Charleston, as a Category 1 storm with 75 miles per hour wind. | |
| In its latest report, the National Hurricane Center said South Carolina was experiencing serious inland flooding from the storm, which was hitting some of the same communities that had severe flooding a year ago. Landfall was close to where Hurricane Hugo came ashore in 1989. | |
| Charleston has reported substantial flooding in parts of the city, in particular the downtown, with water breaching the sea wall. Video of Savannah showed water rushing through the streets amid reports that the Savannah River was out of its banks. Coastal areas in Georgia and South Carolina also reported flooding. | |
| North Carolina officials are now warning residents about the possibility of flooding as the storm moves that direction. | North Carolina officials are now warning residents about the possibility of flooding as the storm moves that direction. |
| Dispatches from our reporters on the ground; a live storm tracker map; and answers to reader questions will be updated below. | Dispatches from our reporters on the ground; a live storm tracker map; and answers to reader questions will be updated below. |
| ■ The National Hurricane Center reported about 11 a.m. that the storm barely met the threshold for a hurricane. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour; to be classified as a hurricane, a storm must have sustained winds of at least 74 m.p.h. | |
| ■ The storm was blamed for the deaths of more than 800 people in Haiti, according to a Reuters report based on information from civil protection and local officials. | |
| ■ In Georgia, the hurricane set a storm surge record for Tybee Island, near the state’s border with South Carolina. The Chatham County Emergency Management Agency said storm surge on the island had reached 12.5 feet, exceeding the previous high of 12.2 feet, which was set when Hurricane David roared ashore in 1979. | |
| ■ Florida officials blamed the storm for at least five deaths: three in St. Lucie County, one in Volusia County and one in Putnam County. | ■ Florida officials blamed the storm for at least five deaths: three in St. Lucie County, one in Volusia County and one in Putnam County. |
| ■ Florida officials said Saturday morning that more than 1 million customers were without electricity. More than a quarter of a million customers were without power in Georgia, and at least 437,000 in South Carolina. | ■ Florida officials said Saturday morning that more than 1 million customers were without electricity. More than a quarter of a million customers were without power in Georgia, and at least 437,000 in South Carolina. |
| ■ Significant flooding hit cities south of Jacksonville, including St. Augustine and Ormond Beach, on Friday. The storm, however, stayed far enough offshore to spare the state a direct hit. | |
| ■ To cover the storm and its aftermath, The New York Times has journalists deployed along the path of Hurricane Matthew. Follow our correspondents on Twitter. | ■ To cover the storm and its aftermath, The New York Times has journalists deployed along the path of Hurricane Matthew. Follow our correspondents on Twitter. |
| Hurricane Matthew sent torrents of rain through the city that turned some roads into rivers and, around the Low Country, ripped trees from the inundated ground, creating more than 250,000 power outages around the state. | Hurricane Matthew sent torrents of rain through the city that turned some roads into rivers and, around the Low Country, ripped trees from the inundated ground, creating more than 250,000 power outages around the state. |
| State officials expressed concern about places like Beaufort and Hilton Head Island, to the south, where the tide was higher when the storm hit. | State officials expressed concern about places like Beaufort and Hilton Head Island, to the south, where the tide was higher when the storm hit. |
| In Charleston, the wind picked up as the eye wall rolled through and water filled many downtown streets. Water was also coming over the sea wall along East Battery Street, along the southeastern edge of this peninsular city. | In Charleston, the wind picked up as the eye wall rolled through and water filled many downtown streets. Water was also coming over the sea wall along East Battery Street, along the southeastern edge of this peninsular city. |
| But many here felt a measure of relief because the tide was receding — even though the storm surge kept the water much higher than usual. | But many here felt a measure of relief because the tide was receding — even though the storm surge kept the water much higher than usual. |
| “We’ve dealt with this before — we’ve dealt with this back in October of last year,” said Charles Francis, a public information officer for the department, comparing the flooding to that caused by 15 to 20 inches of rain over about four days in 2015. | “We’ve dealt with this before — we’ve dealt with this back in October of last year,” said Charles Francis, a public information officer for the department, comparing the flooding to that caused by 15 to 20 inches of rain over about four days in 2015. |
| J.T. Thomas, 51, was spending the storm on his yacht in the Charleston City Marina, watching it on the radar. | J.T. Thomas, 51, was spending the storm on his yacht in the Charleston City Marina, watching it on the radar. |
| “It’s a little roll-y,” Mr. Thomas said early Saturday, “but nobody broke loose and the tide’s gone out now.” | “It’s a little roll-y,” Mr. Thomas said early Saturday, “but nobody broke loose and the tide’s gone out now.” |
| Still, Mr. Thomas said, it was the strongest storm he had experienced in Charleston in decades. — JESS BIDGOOD, in Charleston. | Still, Mr. Thomas said, it was the strongest storm he had experienced in Charleston in decades. — JESS BIDGOOD, in Charleston. |
| Although North Carolina officials were hoping just days ago that the state would dodge the storm’s wrath, the hurricane’s shifting path left coastal and inland areas alike vulnerable. | Although North Carolina officials were hoping just days ago that the state would dodge the storm’s wrath, the hurricane’s shifting path left coastal and inland areas alike vulnerable. |
| “I’m extremely concerned since this hurricane has been downgraded that people will let up their guard, and it’s these types of hurricanes that settle over our state that have caused the most damage and loss of life and destruction,” Gov. Pat McCrory said. | “I’m extremely concerned since this hurricane has been downgraded that people will let up their guard, and it’s these types of hurricanes that settle over our state that have caused the most damage and loss of life and destruction,” Gov. Pat McCrory said. |
| “We wanted this hurricane to go out, where it would have been more powerful over the ocean,” Mr. McCrory said. “But as soon as this hurricane turned inward, which is what we didn’t want — yes, it did downgrade into wind. But it upgraded into the volume of water, and water can kill, along with continued high winds.” | “We wanted this hurricane to go out, where it would have been more powerful over the ocean,” Mr. McCrory said. “But as soon as this hurricane turned inward, which is what we didn’t want — yes, it did downgrade into wind. But it upgraded into the volume of water, and water can kill, along with continued high winds.” |
| Mr. McCrory, who had earlier declared an emergency for all 100 of his state’s counties, said that the authorities feared that substantial rainfall would lead to flooding in already-saturated areas. The National Hurricane Center said some parts of North Carolina could record up to seven feet of storm surge. | Mr. McCrory, who had earlier declared an emergency for all 100 of his state’s counties, said that the authorities feared that substantial rainfall would lead to flooding in already-saturated areas. The National Hurricane Center said some parts of North Carolina could record up to seven feet of storm surge. |
| Indeed, Mr. McCrory warned that the state could experience its worst flooding since Hurricane Floyd in 1999. — ALAN BLINDER, in Orlando | Indeed, Mr. McCrory warned that the state could experience its worst flooding since Hurricane Floyd in 1999. — ALAN BLINDER, in Orlando |
| Miami may have been spared the wrath of Hurricane Matthew, but for residents of the city’s Little Haiti neighborhood the anxiety over the storm was acute. Haiti, birth nation to most of the people in the Miami enclave, was devastated by the storm, which killed hundreds on the island and left fears of an even greater toll. | Miami may have been spared the wrath of Hurricane Matthew, but for residents of the city’s Little Haiti neighborhood the anxiety over the storm was acute. Haiti, birth nation to most of the people in the Miami enclave, was devastated by the storm, which killed hundreds on the island and left fears of an even greater toll. |
| “I have two cousins I have not heard from — I’m very worried,” Daniel Fils Aimé, who has lived in Little Haiti for a quarter of a century and was last in his native Les Cayes two years ago, said. “Somebody is supposed to let me know. Someone is investigating.” | “I have two cousins I have not heard from — I’m very worried,” Daniel Fils Aimé, who has lived in Little Haiti for a quarter of a century and was last in his native Les Cayes two years ago, said. “Somebody is supposed to let me know. Someone is investigating.” |
| Mr. Aimé, 72, managed to get in touch with several friends in the devastated southwestern region of Haiti. “I’ve heard from some friends — not others,” he said as he bought pastries and bread at the Piman Bouk Bakery. “They’re all scattered now. People lost their houses. They had chickens and cows in the yard — everything went straight into the ocean.” | Mr. Aimé, 72, managed to get in touch with several friends in the devastated southwestern region of Haiti. “I’ve heard from some friends — not others,” he said as he bought pastries and bread at the Piman Bouk Bakery. “They’re all scattered now. People lost their houses. They had chickens and cows in the yard — everything went straight into the ocean.” |
| As the chairman of the Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce, which he founded in 2005, Mr. Aimé said he was trying raise money to buy enough food to fill a shipping container, with the intention of sending it to Les Cayes. | As the chairman of the Haitian-American Chamber of Commerce, which he founded in 2005, Mr. Aimé said he was trying raise money to buy enough food to fill a shipping container, with the intention of sending it to Les Cayes. |
| Sitting with a friend in a small park at the intersection of 62nd Street and North Miami Avenue, Maximin Raphael, 59, closed his eyes and pursed his lips as he thought about his 43-year-old sister, Gyslaine Joseph, in Les Cayes, and what she went through during the hurricane. | Sitting with a friend in a small park at the intersection of 62nd Street and North Miami Avenue, Maximin Raphael, 59, closed his eyes and pursed his lips as he thought about his 43-year-old sister, Gyslaine Joseph, in Les Cayes, and what she went through during the hurricane. |
| Mr. Raphael, who has lived in the United States for 34 years, had finally managed to reach her by telephone on Friday morning, after days of trying. | Mr. Raphael, who has lived in the United States for 34 years, had finally managed to reach her by telephone on Friday morning, after days of trying. |
| “Her house is gone,” Mr. Raphael said. “The roof flew away. Everybody that lives there has a big problem.” | “Her house is gone,” Mr. Raphael said. “The roof flew away. Everybody that lives there has a big problem.” |
| At the Piman Bouk Bakery, murals, both inside and out, portray a verdant and abundant Haiti in the manner of much of the country’s art. But the crushing realities of life there, made even more so by frequent batterings it takes from natural calamities like storms and earthquakes, were all too plain to the customers — almost invariably Haitian immigrants — who lined up Friday afternoon to buy goods. | At the Piman Bouk Bakery, murals, both inside and out, portray a verdant and abundant Haiti in the manner of much of the country’s art. But the crushing realities of life there, made even more so by frequent batterings it takes from natural calamities like storms and earthquakes, were all too plain to the customers — almost invariably Haitian immigrants — who lined up Friday afternoon to buy goods. |
| “We are all Haitian, so we have to be concerned, regardless of whether they are family or not,” said Marie-Claude Richardson, a registered nurse who was born in Cap Haitien, in the country’s north, and who moved to Miami in 1986 after completing high school in her native country. — NICK MADIGAN, in Miami | “We are all Haitian, so we have to be concerned, regardless of whether they are family or not,” said Marie-Claude Richardson, a registered nurse who was born in Cap Haitien, in the country’s north, and who moved to Miami in 1986 after completing high school in her native country. — NICK MADIGAN, in Miami |
| Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, declined to extend the deadline after a call from Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign to accommodate people disrupted by the hurricane. Read more » | Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, declined to extend the deadline after a call from Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign to accommodate people disrupted by the hurricane. Read more » |
| Forecasters say there are hints that the storm could take a path back toward the coastline, at a reduced strength. Read more from John Schwartz » | Forecasters say there are hints that the storm could take a path back toward the coastline, at a reduced strength. Read more from John Schwartz » |
| John Schwartz, a New York Times reporter who covers climate change and the environment, is answering reader questions about the storm. He rode out his first hurricane, Carla, in his hometown, Galveston, Tex., at age 4. He has covered the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as well as other storms for The Times. | John Schwartz, a New York Times reporter who covers climate change and the environment, is answering reader questions about the storm. He rode out his first hurricane, Carla, in his hometown, Galveston, Tex., at age 4. He has covered the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, as well as other storms for The Times. |
| Ask your hurricane questions here. | Ask your hurricane questions here. |
| Why do weather agencies and the news media keep getting the forecasts so wrong and overstate the severity of hurricanes? Is this some kind of insurance liability issue, where they are afraid of getting sued if they don’t paint a ‘doomsday’ picture? — Jim | Why do weather agencies and the news media keep getting the forecasts so wrong and overstate the severity of hurricanes? Is this some kind of insurance liability issue, where they are afraid of getting sued if they don’t paint a ‘doomsday’ picture? — Jim |
| The conservative approach isn’t about liability, Jim, it’s about saving lives. The storm track that Matthew has followed has been well within the range of possibilities that the National Hurricane Center has been talking about all along. This is still a dangerous storm, and just because some stretches of the Florida coast have not been hit as catastrophically as was possible, that does not mean the rest of Florida or Georgia or South Carolina are in the clear. | The conservative approach isn’t about liability, Jim, it’s about saving lives. The storm track that Matthew has followed has been well within the range of possibilities that the National Hurricane Center has been talking about all along. This is still a dangerous storm, and just because some stretches of the Florida coast have not been hit as catastrophically as was possible, that does not mean the rest of Florida or Georgia or South Carolina are in the clear. |
| Marshall Shepherd, the director of Atmospheric Sciences Program, University of Georgia, has been fiercely defending the warnings on Twitter, and I’ll let him do the talking here: | Marshall Shepherd, the director of Atmospheric Sciences Program, University of Georgia, has been fiercely defending the warnings on Twitter, and I’ll let him do the talking here: |
| Chris W. Landsea, science and operations officer for the National Hurricane Center, said that while the storm has weakened somewhat, it is now spread over a larger area, and “a larger hurricane can cause more storm surge,” and a larger wind field; the wind damage, in other words, can be felt over a larger area. So a slightly weaker but larger storm is “kind of a wash, as far as impacts,” he said. | Chris W. Landsea, science and operations officer for the National Hurricane Center, said that while the storm has weakened somewhat, it is now spread over a larger area, and “a larger hurricane can cause more storm surge,” and a larger wind field; the wind damage, in other words, can be felt over a larger area. So a slightly weaker but larger storm is “kind of a wash, as far as impacts,” he said. |