Hurricane Matthew barreled over South Carolina on Saturday, causing flooding, wind damage and power outages as it tracked northward. The powerful storm had earlier hit both Florida and Georgia, wreaking havoc in those two southern states as well.
Ahead of the storm, millions evacuated the southeast coastline — snarling traffic and testing the patience of residents who feared for their homes and their loved ones.
In the U.S., the historic storm has been blamed for at least 11 deaths.
Even before it hit the U.S., Hurricane Matthew tragically caused as many as 900 deaths on the Caribbean island of Haiti, according to multiple reports.
In the U.S., the storm has been blamed for at least 11 deaths — five in Florida, three in North Carolina and three in Georgia. Two people were killed by falling trees in Bulloch County, Georgia, Reuters reported.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott said more than 6,000 people stayed in shelters overnight, but in a news conference he appeared relieved that the Sunshine State had been spared from greater damage.
“My uncle refused to leave his mobile home on the Florida coastline, and that was pretty scary for our family,” said one Boston-area woman. “He said he’s dealt with storms before, and this one wasn’t going to make him leave. He did lay in supplies, and fill the car with gas, however.”
Hurricane Matthew was topping cable news for days — the powerful storm was at first a Category 5 as it gained power in the Atlantic. That’s the strongest and most dangerous hurricane, in which winds can blow 157 miles per hour or higher. One week ago its winds were measured at 120 miles per hour (a Category 3 storm), but by Saturday it had gone to 75 miles per hour — a Category 1 hurricane.
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Matthew first made U.S. landfall near McClellanville, South Carolina, a small town 30 miles north of Charleston that has a history of hurricanes. It was devastated by Category 4 hurricane “Hugo” in 1989.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami tracked Matthew as it passed over Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Saturday afternoon, and warned of severe flooding in Georgia and North Carolina. The storm slowed as it made its way inland, according to Reuters.
Georgia Power said at least 275,000 people were without electricity in the state, according to Reuters.
“My uncle refused to leave his home on the Florida coastline. That was pretty scary for our family,” said one woman.
The storm also knocked out power to nearly 1.6 million households and businesses in the southeaatern U.S., the majority of them in Florida. It could take a week or more to restore service in some areas.
Parts of Interstate 95 from Miami, Florida to Charleston, South Carolina, were closed due to flooding and fallen trees, officials said.
In Florida, almost 879,000 people were without power, according to state utilities, while in South Carolina 433,000 had no electricity, Gov. Nikki Haley said in a news conference Saturday.
As the South Coast begins the hard work of repairing damage and rebuilding lives, families are grateful that the death toll wasn’t higher.
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“My uncle is OK,” the Boston woman said, relieved. “We prayed a lot and in the end just had to respect his choice. All that matters is that he and my aunt are safe.”
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