Hurricane Matthew October 2016: Rapid Event Summary

This post is originally from DisasterMap.net and used with permission. Visit DisasterMap for more information on Hurricane Matthew's impacts.

Hurricane Matthew briefly reached Category 5 status in the Caribbean Sea, where it affected Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, and the Bahamas.  It then tracked north and skirted the southeast US coast. The storm made landfall over Charleston, SC, then later curved back into the Atlantic.  While the storm mostly dissipated at this point, it still caused severe rainfall over North Carolina.

Haiti Impacts Catastrophic:

• 1,332 deaths attributed to direct storm impacts and 160 known Cholera deaths in the aftermath.
• UN warns of surge in cholera cases.
• 1.4 million people required assistance.
• 175,000 people displaced from their homes.

Dominican Republic: 

• 4 storm deaths reported.
• Wind and flood damage but no deaths in Cuba and the Bahamas.

US Impacts: 

• 46 deaths including 26 in North Carolina.
• Over 2,300 people rescued from floodwaters in NC.
• Over $6 billion in damage in FL, GA, and SC plus another $1.5 billion in NC.  Total damage possibly as high as $10 billion 

US Hazards:

• Jacksonville, FL to Charleston, SC experienced major storm surge. Storm tide up to 12 feet above sea level.
• Widespread rainfall flooding, particularly North and South Carolina where 15″ of rained occurred in some locations.
• Interstate Closures:  I-95, I-16, I-20, and I-40.  All of I-95 in Georgia closed. Sections of Florida’s Hwy A1A ripped apart by waves and surge. Numerous secondary roads and highways closed, some for weeks.
• Moderate-to-severe wind damage along most of southeast Atlantic coastline.
• 2 million people affected by power outages.
• 2 million people under evacuation orders.
• Shelters: During peak nearly 250 shelters were open across 6 states. Nearly 4,000 people sheltered on Oct. 5, 27,000 people on Oct. 6, Over 18,000 on Oct 7.