On September 22, Hurricane Matthew began as a tropical wave that originated from Africa’s coast. On September 29, it was officially classified as a hurricane 190 miles off of the North East coast of Curacao. A day later, with record-breaking speed, it achieved Category 5 intensity, the highest category possible for a hurricane.
“It stayed a Category 4 or 5 hurricane longer than all Atlantic hurricanes from the past eight years combined,” said CNN’s Holly Yan, in an hour-by-hour update of the hurricane. Coming into contact with land mass, as well as cool air, tends to help kill a hurricane. Matthew, however, avoided contact with land as long as it could, which made it the longest-lived October hurricane yet, according to CNN.
Haiti was devastated by this hurricane. Just six years ago, it was struck by an earthquake that killed at least 100,000 people. Many Haitians were just beginning to recover when Matthew hit, killing 804 in less than a week.
From as far north as North Carolina, floods have been reported in the US, causing some 2,000 people to evacuate. “In Fayetteville, North Carolina, water levels have reached 22 feet above flood stage,” said Rick and Bonnie Wiersma, World Renew relief workers in an interview with Disaster Response Services. “Some rivers there are still rising and have yet to crest.” As of right now, there have been 47 fatalities in the United States.
Although the hurricane has now receded (as of October 10), there are still evacuations going on. AirBNB has offered 3,000 houses — free of charge — to people displaced by Matthew, in an effort to bring relief to the victims. Help can be brought by the Calvin community too; donations toward a relief fund can help make a big difference. The aftermath of the hurricane is still claiming lives.
By: Sophia Marcus, Writer
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