Hurricane Matthew damages property in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
- 8 years ago
Bar Harbor Hotel was slightly damaged on Saturday (October 8) in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as Hurricane Matthew kept moving northward at 12 mph (19 kph) with the storm packing 105 mph (165 kph) winds, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.
Matthew killed almost 900 people and displaced tens of thousands in Haiti before plowing northward on Saturday (October 8) just off the southeast U.S. coast where it caused major flooding and widespread power outages.
Matthew triggered mass evacuations along the U.S. Atlantic coast from Florida northward through Georgia and into South Carolina and North Carolina. President Barack Obama urged people not to be complacent and to heed safety instructions.
At 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT), Matthew's eye was about 20 miles (30 km) south-southeast of Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Wind gusts of 80 mph (130 kph) in Hilton Head were reported early on Saturday by the NHC.
Matthew sideswiped Florida's coast with winds of up to 120 mph (195 kph) but did not make landfall there. The NHC downgraded the storm to a Category 2 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity as its sustained winds dropped to 110 mph. Category 5 is the strongest.
There were at least four storm-related deaths in Florida but no immediate reports of significant damage in cities and towns where Matthew swamped streets, toppled trees and knocked out power to more than 1 million households and businesses. About 300,000 households and businesses were without power in Georgia and South Carolina, according to utility companies.
Hurricane warnings early on Saturday extended up the Atlantic coast from northeast Florida through Georgia and South Carolina and into North Carolina.
Flash flood warnings were also in effect as 15 inches (40 cm) of rain was expected to accumulate in parts of the region along with storm surges and high tides, the National Weather Service said.
Several major roadways were flooded in Charleston, South Carolina, where water topped a wall at The Battery and was inundating White Point Gardens, a large downtown park, local media reported early on Saturday.
Matthew killed almost 900 people and displaced tens of thousands in Haiti before plowing northward on Saturday (October 8) just off the southeast U.S. coast where it caused major flooding and widespread power outages.
Matthew triggered mass evacuations along the U.S. Atlantic coast from Florida northward through Georgia and into South Carolina and North Carolina. President Barack Obama urged people not to be complacent and to heed safety instructions.
At 5 a.m. EDT (0900 GMT), Matthew's eye was about 20 miles (30 km) south-southeast of Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Wind gusts of 80 mph (130 kph) in Hilton Head were reported early on Saturday by the NHC.
Matthew sideswiped Florida's coast with winds of up to 120 mph (195 kph) but did not make landfall there. The NHC downgraded the storm to a Category 2 on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity as its sustained winds dropped to 110 mph. Category 5 is the strongest.
There were at least four storm-related deaths in Florida but no immediate reports of significant damage in cities and towns where Matthew swamped streets, toppled trees and knocked out power to more than 1 million households and businesses. About 300,000 households and businesses were without power in Georgia and South Carolina, according to utility companies.
Hurricane warnings early on Saturday extended up the Atlantic coast from northeast Florida through Georgia and South Carolina and into North Carolina.
Flash flood warnings were also in effect as 15 inches (40 cm) of rain was expected to accumulate in parts of the region along with storm surges and high tides, the National Weather Service said.
Several major roadways were flooded in Charleston, South Carolina, where water topped a wall at The Battery and was inundating White Point Gardens, a large downtown park, local media reported early on Saturday.