Hurricane Matthew sweeps across the Caribbean

Dom.Rep. four die in mudslides and collapsing walls
Haiti – strong seas and flooding cut communications

Cuba – residents moved to safe areas ahead of storm

One of the fiercest Caribbean storms in nearly a decade has hammered Haiti and is now pummeling Cuba.
Hurricane Matthew is a category four storm which has brought with it sea surges and powerful winds.

Cuba’s Communist government traditionally puts extensive efforts into saving lives and property in the face of storms, and authorities have spent days organizing teams of volunteers to move residents to safety and secure property.

Matthew first hit the Dominican Republic and then swept through Haiti and Cuba and is destined for the Bahamas before barreling towards the US.

Hurricane #Matthew has made landfall in extreme eastern Cuba, its 2nd landfall at Category 4 strength today. pic.twitter.com/HC8ivZsaeq— Eric Holthaus (@EricHolthaus) October 5, 2016

Matthew has caused much structural damage including bring power lines down and tearing off roofs.

Communications have become a problem along with collapsing walls and mudslides which have caused the deaths of several people in the region.

Matthew lashes #Haiti, hits eastern tip of #Cuba https://t.co/WTrZ1J51IX pic.twitter.com/gWw0VAMtfj— NDTV (@ndtv) October 5, 2016

In Haiti the oncoming storm forced thousands to take cover as the 230 kmp winds tore across towns and farm land alike.

With communications out across most of Haiti and a key bridge impassable because of a swollen river, there’s been no immediate word on the full extent of potential casualties and damage in the poorest country in the Americas.

Hurricane Matthew making landfall with Haiti pic.twitter.com/rzYvpvnOCN— TmarTn (@TmarTn) October 4, 2016

Matthew is likely to remain a major hurricane until at least Thursday night as it sweeps through the Bahamas towards Florida and the Atlantic coast of the southern United States. The governor of South Carolina has ordered the evacuation of more than 1 million people from Wednesday afternoon.