Hurricane watch issued for South Florida, as Matthew

New Post Public Reply Private Reply Replies (1) Message Board

Oct 4, 2016 at 4:17 PM

Hurricane watch issued for South Florida, as Matthew blows through Haiti as category

The U.S. National Hurricane Center issued watches for much of South Florida and the Keys, as Hurricane Matthew continued to roar across the southwestern tip of Haiti with 145 mph winds.

The region could begin to feel Matthew, now Category 4 storm, within the next two days, the Miami Herald reported.

Miami-Dade County Mayor, Carlos Gimenez, said evacuation plans have yet to be announced, according to the Herald, but is urging residents to start securing their homes and businesses and stocking up on water, batteries and supplies.

“If we do order evacuations, we will open shelters up in Miami-Dade County that can take care of you,” Gimenez said, as quote by the Herald.

A tropical storm watch also is in effect from the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys northward to south of Deerfield Beach, including Lake Okeechobee.

In Haiti, Matthew uprooted trees and tore roofs from homes in a largely rural corner of the impoverished country.

One person was reported killed in Haiti and four in the neighboring Dominican Republic, bringing the death toll from Matthew's path through the Caribbean to at least seven.

The dangerous Category 4 storm blew ashore around dawn in a corner of Haiti where many people live along the coast in shacks of wood or simple concrete blocks.

Matthew was causing major damage, though the extent was not immediately known, said Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste, director of the country's Civil Protection Agency.

"It's much too early to know how bad things are, but we do know there are a lot of houses that have been destroyed or damaged in the south," Jean-Baptiste said.

Haitian authorities had tried to evacuate people from the most vulnerable areas ahead of the storm, but many were reluctant to leave their property. Some sought shelter only after the worst was already upon them, making their way through debris-strewn streets amid pounding rain.

"Many people are now asking for help, but it's too late because there is no way to go evacuate them," said Fonie Pierre, director of Catholic Relief Services for the Les Cayes area, who was huddled in her office with about 20 people.

Matthew was expected to bring 15 to 25 inches of rain, and up to 40 inches (100 centimeters) in isolated places, along with up to 10 feet (3 meters) of storm surge and battering waves.

"They are getting everything a major hurricane can throw at them," said Dennis Feltgen, a meteorologist with the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

The storm was moving along the Windward Passage between Haiti and Jamaica, where it was dumping heavy rain that caused flooding. It was headed for southeastern Cuba and then into the Bahamas. The center of the storm was projected to pass about 50 miles northeast of the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Forecasters said it could menace Florida toward the end of the week and push its way up the East Coast over the weekend.

"We do not know yet whether the center of Matthew will actually come ashore in Florida. That's possible," said Rick Knabb, director of the hurricane center. "It also could go to the right and stay farther offshore. The farther offshore it is, the lesser the impacts will be, but the impacts are going to happen no matter what."

Cuba's government declared a hurricane alert for six eastern provinces, and workers removed traffic lights from poles in the city of Santiago to keep them from falling.

In the U.S., Florida Gov. Rick Scott urged residents along the state's Atlantic Coast to prepare for the possibility of a direct hit, and the Red Cross put out a call for volunteers in South Carolina.

As of 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), the storm was centered about 35 miles north-northeast (60 kilometers) of Tiburon, Haiti, and 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of the eastern tip of Cuba. It was moving north near 10 mph (17 kph).

As dawn broke, people in the Haitian tourist town of Port Salut described howling winds and big waves slamming the beaches and washing over the coastal road.

"The winds are making so many bad noises. We're just doing our best to stay calm," said Jenniflore Desrosiers as she huddled with her family in her fragile cinderblock home, which had sprung numerous leaks from pelting rain.

Haiti's civil protection office said a number of coastal towns partially flooded overnight. Landslides and downed trees on roads prevented movement in numerous areas. The few places that were on the electrical grid had apparently lost power, and cellphone service was spotty.

Haitian officials spent Monday trying to persuade shantytown residents to take advantage of shelters being set up, but many refused.

"If we lose our things we are not going to get them back!" said Toussaint Laine, an unemployed man who lives with his family in a shack in Tabarre, a suburb of Port-au-Prince, the capital.

Hurricane%20matthew%20hits%20Hati.jpg

Featured stocks: Coffee Shoppe
For conservative debate: "Keeping it Real"
Game Changing stock $SHMP

Newer

Older

Scroll down for more posts ▼

Top 10 Most Recent News Articles

Intus Bio Secures $2.7M for Colorectal Cancer Test

Pioneering Efforts in Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer Detection The battlefield of colorectal cancer prevention just got a serious upgrade with Intus Bio grabbing a $2.7 million award. This ain't just pocket change—it's a shot at rewriting the script on how we approach early-onset colorectal cancer, the pesky number one cancer gnawing at the under-50 crowd. Partnering...

USFCR Wins 2026 Award for Federal Contracting Services

Award-Winning Federal Contracting Strategies News from Clearwater, Florida: US Federal Contractor Registration (USFCR) just bagged the 2026 nod from Gov Business Review as the Federal Contracting Services of the Year. Now that's a feather in the cap worth talking about. This isn't some hallway compliment, folks. It's a signal that they've nailed how to get businesses...

DCM Services Teams with AKUVO to Boost Estate Recoveries

Revolutionizing Estate Recovery Practices Here's the scoop: DCM Services (DCMS), that big shot in estate account resolution, is hooking up with AKUVO to shake up how credit unions handle estate recoveries. This alliance is a clear nod to modernizing a process stuck in the past. Let’s face it, handling decedent and probate accounts is no cakewalk, and traditional methods...

Modeling and Mental Health Join Forces for Wellness

A Fresh Alliance for Mental Wellness in Modeling Alright, let's shine a spotlight on a significant step in the modeling industry, a place typically less vocal about mental health. In a move that feels long overdue, Brain-Body Therapy and Mother Model Management have joined forces, marking the beginning of a collaborative effort to propel mental wellness to the forefront...

Flex Dental Solutions Adds BNPL, Surcharging to FlexPayments

Diving into Dental Finances: A New Moneymaker? It's about time someone shook up the dental payment scene, and Flex Dental Solutions seems to be the one doing it. They rolled out some intriguing new features for their FlexPayments platform aimed squarely at dental practices using Open Dental. What we're seeing here is their attempt to bridge a couple of financial headaches...

CrossCountry Mortgage Boosts Loan Limits, Flexibility for 2027

Trailblazing in the Mortgage Game Well, what do we have here? CrossCountry Mortgage, the big cheese of retail mortgage lenders, is cranking up their conforming loan limits to a hefty $845,000. They're jumping the gun on the Federal Housing Finance Agency's official 2027 announcement. It's a classic move—proactive, bold, and a bit of a gamble, if you ask me. They’re...

Veteran Marketer Joins The Wisory's Advisory Board

Tyrrell Schmidt Joins The Wisory's Board Out of the blue, The Wisory has snatched Tyrrell Schmidt right off the retirement bench. This doesn't seem like just another board seating; it smells like a calculated power play. Schmidt, fresh from her heavyweight stint as Global CMO at TD Bank, adds a spicy dose of marketing prowess to The Wisory's already loaded Advisory Board....

Melissa Rivers Brings Her Wit Back to Emmys Carpet

They say you can never go home again, but don't tell that to Melissa Rivers. Rolling the dice on nostalgia and kicking off a new chapter, she's waltzing back to the Emmys red carpet for the first time in nearly 20 years. Alright, what's in it for investors? Not much—unless you're looking to invest in nostalgia. But there's something here about legacy, reinvention, and...

Crystal Risotti: Leading IT Compliance in Healthcare

A Journey Marked by Dedication and Expertise In the demanding world of healthcare technology, where regulations can make or break a company, Crystal Risotti has carved out a space for herself as a leader. Over the last 30 years, she's developed a reputation for blending regulatory expertise with practical business strategies. Her recognition as a Pinnacle Professional of...

Seismic Pharma Kicks Off Phase 3 Trial for Istaroxime

Seismic Sets the Stage for a Medical Milestone From the heart of biotech in Durham, North Carolina, seismic waves ripple through the medical community as Seismic Pharmaceuticals embarks on a high-stakes adventure. It's official: they've enrolled their very first patient in the global Phase 3 trial of istaroxime, targeting the grim specter known as cardiogenic shock. You...