Hurricane Matthew Makes Landfall in Haiti, Continues to Impact The Bahamas and U.S.
PDC Situational Awareness product displaying impacts from Hurricane Matthew during an initial aerial damage assessment in Haiti.
On October 4, Hurricane Matthew made landfall near Les Anglais in western Haiti as a Category 4 hurricane, bringing torrential rains, floods, and strong winds to the country—which was already dealing with a Cholera outbreak that has caused more than 9,000 deaths and infected hundreds of thousands since 2010. The hurricane affected an estimated one million people and cut off access to some of the worst affected areas (ReliefWeb/IFRC, NASA, PAHO, Reuters).
Hurricane Matthew continues to impact The Bahamas as it moves toward the east coast of the United States. Matthew began moving through The Bahamas on October 5, bringing damaging winds, heavy rains, and dangerous storm surge to much of the archipelago, including the island of New Providence where the capital (and most populous) city, Nassau, is located (NEMA Facebook).
The International Charter: Space and Major Disasters was activated (October 3) due to the impact of Hurricane Matthew in Haiti. As of October 6, the Charter has also been activated for the Dominican Republic, Cuba, The Bahamas, and the United States. For the duration of the Hurricane Matthew event, Pacific Disaster Center will serve as Project Manager for the Charter activation (UN-SPIDER).
PDC Global Hazards Atlas, centered on Florida, displaying PDC Active Hazards, Tropical Cyclone Positions and Segments, and Estimated Wind Impacts (TAOS Model) layers.
As of October 6 (2000 EDT), Hurricane Matthew is located about 75 miles east of West Palm Beach, Florida, with maximum sustained winds at 130 miles per hour (NHC Advisory #35A). As Matthew continues tracking northwestward, a Hurricane Warning remains in effect for the northwestern islands of The Bahamas, including the Abacos, Andros Island, the Berry Islands, Bimini, Eleuthera, Grand Bahama Island, and New Providence, as well as from north of Golden Beach to South Santee River and Lake Okeechobee in Florida, United States. The National Hurricane Center advises that interests throughout the Florida peninsula, the Florida Keys, and the Carolinas should monitor the progress of Matthew.
PDC Global Hazards Atlas, centered on Florida, displaying PDC Active Hazards, Tropical Cyclone Positions and Segments, and Estimated Still Water Storm Surge (TAOS Model) layers.
According to the NHC, hurricane conditions are expected to reach the Hurricane Warning area in Florida by Thursday evening, spreading northward to warning areas in Georgia and South Carolina Friday night and Saturday (NHC Advisory #35A). Along the east coast of Florida to South Carolina, the combination of dangerous storm surge and large, destructive waves could raise water levels 7 to 11 feet.
Pacific Disaster Center continues to work closely with partners responding to Hurricane Matthew, providing decision support and situational awareness products for the duration of the event. If you are an emergency manager or humanitarian assistance practitioner and would like access to PDC’s Emergency Operations (EMOPS) platform, click here for more information.
Stay up-to-date with Hurricane Matthew situational awareness products, event news, and Damage and Needs Assessment by visiting PDC’s 2016 Tropical Cyclone Matthew event page.
Current Hazard Warnings
Tropical Cyclone: Matthew (Atlantic Ocean), Nicole (Atlantic Ocean)
Flood: United States (Montana, Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska), Australia (Victoria, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, Tasmania), Nigeria, Niger
Winter Storm: Canada (Manitoba)
Drought: United States (Western, Southern, Northeastern)
For real-time information on current disasters download PDC’s free Disaster Alert mobile app available for your iOS or Android devices today! Also be sure to monitor PDC on Twitter, Facebook, and by accessing the Global Hazards Atlas.