Matthew, a Category 4 hurricane, threatens Haiti, Jamaica
- by Erica Wilson
- in Local
- — Oct 2, 2016
KINGSTON, Jamaica (AP) One of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent history weakened a little on Saturday as it drenched coastal Colombia and roared across the Caribbean on a course that still puts Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba in the path of potentially devastating winds and rain.
According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, at 5:00 pm EDT on Saturday, the eye of Hurricane Matthew was located about 360 miles (580 km) south-southwest of Port au Prince, Haiti, and about 385 miles (620 km) southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, drifting toward the northwest near 3 mph (6 km/h).
A turn toward the west-northwest is forecast later today, followed by a turn toward the north-northwest on Sunday.
"The reason for that is there's still considerable spread in the models", he said, explaining that the American forecast models show Matthew moving closer to Florida while the European models predict the storm tracking further east.
Jamaica and Haiti are also under serious threat.
"There is no room for any mischief to be made as we face one of the most severe natural disasters in quite a long while", he added.
It's the fiercest storm to cross the Caribbean for years - and it has Jamaica in its sights.
"I am exhausted of wasting my money buying food, gas, boarding up my house", said Michael Franklin, a taxi driver in Montego Bay. "We just can't make the call".
The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says Matthew is packing top sustained winds of 160 miles per hour (260 kph) after gaining new strength Friday.
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"We will continue those efforts in the coming days as the storm progresses", Capt. Andrew Ethridge said in a statement Saturday.
"It is too soon to rule out possible hurricane impacts from Matthew in Florida", the agency said on Twitter.
That includes placing some 2,000 homeless people in shelters, McKenzie told the newspaper.
He also said the army and army reserves had been called to help limit the damage, as hospitals throughout the island of nearly three million people stood ready. Matthew is expected to be over eastern Cuba on Tuesday, with a path that could take it over the old city of Santiago de Cuba and the USA naval base in Guantanamo.
In Haiti, authorities warned residents of the country's southern islands that they were "first at risk", and urged them to prepare.
On Friday, Steve Garten, Flagler County's emergency manager, encouraged residents to stock up on supplies - non-perishable foods, batteries and flashlights and County Administrator Craig Coffey encouraged residents to fill their gas tanks in case supplies became hard to deliver to the area.
In its second city, Santiago de Cuba, the ruling Communist Party opened shelters and organised volunteer teams to clean storm drains and gather food stocks. "We are all on high alert".
Hurricane season continues through November 1.
