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Former Hurricane Matthew made landfall in South Carolina as a Category 1 storm over Thanksgiving weekend, triggering torrential rainfall and a catastrophic flood threat for the Carolinas in its wake. Details here.
2016 ATLANTIC HURRICANE SEASON

'Catastrophic flooding' ensues as Matthew strays from coast


Digital writers
theweathernetwork.com

Tuesday, October 11, 2016, 1:28 PM - Former Hurricane Matthew made landfall in South Carolina as a Category 1 storm over Thanksgiving weekend, triggering torrential rainfall and a catastrophic flood threat for the Carolinas in its wake.

Though the storm has since been downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone, it continues to pose a threat. More details on that, below.


QUICK FACTS:

  • Matthew has been downgraded to a Post-Tropical Cyclone, but maintains maximum sustained winds of 120 km/h
  • All Hurricane and Tropical Storm Warnings associated with the storm have been discontinued.
  • Record-breaking flooding continues over parts of eastern North Carolina.
  • River flooding is expected to rival that related to 1999's Hurricane Floyd, which was responsible for 57 fatalities and $6.9 billion USD in damages.
  • Significant river flooding expected into next week from North Carolina to central Florida.
  • The storm previously made landfall in Haiti, the Bahamas and Cuba. Death toll of more than 1000, most of which were in Haiti.
  • The fatalities have reportedly risen to 34 in the U.S., spanning four southeast states

After pummeling the Caribbean and Florida's east coast, Hurricane Matthew crossed land southeast of McClellanville, South Carolina Saturday at 11 a.m. EDT, bringing destructive winds, powerful storm surge, and downpours.


OUT OF THIS WORLD: A rare loop-de-loop track for Matthew? | Will Matthew and Nicole make for an unusual binary?


Almost 2 million were without power Sunday night, with 21 deaths reported in four U.S. states; 11 in North Carolina, three in South Carolina, three in Georgia, and four in Florida.

More than 1000 fatalities have been reported outside the U.S., with the majority of those in Haiti, which now faces a major cholera outbreak.

Though Matthew maintains winds of 120 km/h, it has officially been downgraded to post-tropical cyclone status, as the structure of the storm has become disorganized.

On Monday U.S. president Barack Obama declared a major disaster in North Carolina, ordering federal aid in addition to state, tribal and local recovery efforts.


STORM TOOL KIT: Be prepared for severe weather with The Weather Network's online essentials: ALERTS | LIVE RADAR | UPLOAD PHOTOS/VIDEOS | LATEST NEWS | FOLLOW ON TWITTER | HIGHWAY FORECAST | AIRPORT FORECAST


Matthew remains a major threat to life and property with a "serious inland flooding event unfolding," according to the U.S. NHC. "Life-threatening flooding will continue over portions of eastern North Carolina that have received record rains from Matthew," the agency said in a statement.

Comparing Matthew to Katrina

While the storm has tracked along the coastline rather than moving directly inland, it is still the first major hurricane (Category 3 or above) to come this close to a U.S. landfall since Hurricane Katrina's direct hit on Louisiana in 2005.

"The reason why Katrina was so devastating was the levees breaking and New Orleans being below sea level, leading to terrible storm surge," Weather Network meteorologist Dayna Vettese explained. "Whereas Matthew's eye will travel along the coast of Florida, making its impacts more widespread across the coast."

However, Vettese noted that it's tough to compare Matthew to Katrina "because of the difference in geography and circumstance."


FOLLOW THE CHASE: Watch below as The Weather Network's Chris St. Clair examines storm damage in Florida. 


Evacuation orders

More than 2.5 million people from Florida to South Carolina were urged to evacuate ahead of the storm's approach, and states of emergency were in effect in four states.

Some 27,000 residents are in emergency shelters in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. More than 1,800 Red Cross disaster workers are on the ground or traveling to the southeast to support evacuation shelters and response efforts. 

CNN reports a woman in her 60s was killed by a falling tree in Volusia County, Florida and an 82-year-old man in St. Lucie County died due to medical emergency. The storm prevented first responders from reaching both of them in time.

Several communities across Florida have been overwhelmed by water, with storm surge measure at over 4 feet (1.2 metres) in some areas. The Jacksonville Beach Pier washed away Friday morning, CNN reports. 

Cherise Wintz lives in Florida where at 11 a.m. EDT Friday, the eye of the storm was located only 55 km east-northeast from her peninsula condo in Daytona Beach (see video below).

"It's pretty bad... the eye is out front of us and it's been here for a while," Wintz told The Weather Network late morning. "The seas are probably 15 to 18 feet. It's pretty nasty, I've never seen anything like this."

While Wintz made the decision to stay in her condo for the duration of the storm, she says many residents in her condominium have heeded evacuation orders.

"It's a little scary, however, I feel like I made the right choice staying foot in this condo because I feel like a concrete building is better than a wooden house. My businesses and our home is beach-side and I just felt that I needed to stay here, so I am able to head back out when the storm passes by."

The storm has caused extensive damage to other units in the building, according to Wintz.

Officials have received reports that the end of the Sunglow Pier in Daytona Beach has elapsed. There is no word yet on whether or not the iconic Crabby Joe's restaurant, which is located on the pier, survived the wrath of Matthew.

Courtesy: Cherise Wintz -- Daytona Beach, Florida

Courtesy: Cherise Wintz -- Daytona Beach, Florida

"My emergency plan is to go into the stairwell of the condo, that would be the best bet," Wintz told The Weather Network. "We have no power at this time, we lost it a little while ago."

Death toll rises in the Caribbean

Matthew made landfall earlier in the week first in Haiti, then in Cuba, dumping hundreds of millimetres of rain across the region, raising the risk of life-threatening landslides. Thursday saw a hit on the Bahamas.

More than 1000 people have been reported dead across the region, the majority of those in Haiti.

The country's southern peninsula was all but cut off from the rest of the country, delaying rescuers from entering the hardest-hit areas. Officials say at least 30,000 homes were destroyed across the region. Now that help is there, death toll reports have been increasing.

Haiti has suffered widespread deforestation over the past few decades, making its hilly landscape prone to landslides and flash floods during intense rain episodes.

The country is the poorest in the Americas, and its economy and infrastructure are still frail six years after the 2010 quake that killed hundreds of thousands of Haitians.


SOURCES: National Hurricane Center | Reuters | ABC News | CNN

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