Hurricane Matthew smashed its way through the Caribbean and roared toward Haiti , Jamaica and Cuba on Sunday, a Category 4 storm powered by 145-mph winds that could pose a threat to the United States by week's end.
Matthew briefly reached maximum Category 5 status Friday, making it the strongest Atlantic hurricane in almost a decade. Late Sunday, the storm was located about 265 miles south-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica , and was crawling west at 3 mph.
The latest National Hurricane Center projection had Matthew reaching the southwestern tip of Haiti late Monday, but tropical storm conditions could reach Jamaica and Haiti as soon as late Sunday and eastern Cuba early Monday. The storm was expected to remain a powerful and dangerous hurricane into Tuesday, forecasters said.
"Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion," the hurricane center warned on its Facebook page.
Matthew could dump up to 25 inches of rain over much of southern Haiti, with "isolated maximum amounts of 40 inches," the hurricane center warned. Eastern Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and eastern Cuba could see 10 to 20 inches of rain with 25 inches in isolated areas. In addition, storm surges in the region could cause catastrophic flooding.
Although the official forecast on Sunday showed a track east of Florida, the hurricane center said it was still too soon to rule out possible possible hurricane impacts there — or how Matthew might affect the remainder of the U.S. east coast.
In Haiti, families were being urged to stock up on food and water, and evacuations were underway in high-risk areas. The Haitian Civil Protection Agency said it had 576 temporary shelters available that can accommodate up to 88,252 people for at least 3 days.
"This could be catastrophic for some places, particularly Haiti," National Hurricane Center meteorologist Dennis Feltgen told USA TODAY. "This is an area where trees just don't exist (due to deforestation). The terrain is stripped, and the threat of major flash floods and mudslides is very real."
http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2016/10/02/matthewcategory-4-hurricane/91431066/
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