With at least nine deaths reported and hundreds of people still missing, Haiti struggles to survive after hurricane Matthew made landfall. The region is currently facing numerous landslides and flash floods six years after an earthquake and the subsequent cholera outbreak. Hurricane Matthew is now progressing on to Cuba and the Bahamas.
According to CBS News, hurricane Matthew was initially reported as a Category 5 storm, with winds of 157 miles per hour on October 1. Two days later, the strongest hurricane so far this year made its way to Haiti with winds of 140 miles per hour. Though the power of hurricane Matthew dropped to a less mind-boggling number, Haiti was not prepared for the disaster. Though the winds were more tolerable, the rain was an outright downpour.
As if the floods and winds weren't enough, Haiti now faces more challenges in the wake of hurricane Matthew's rage. One of which is the many dangers of standing water.
"That means a potential spike in cholera cases," said World Vision's national director John Hasse, as reported by CNN. "Other mosquito-borne diseases that have been more or less controlled are going to rear their heads."
To date, hurricane Matthew is slamming Cuba with stronger winds of 145 miles per hour and is on a collision course toward the US. It is expected to hit the east coast by the weekend.
"This is not something that we want to play with," said South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, as reported by USA Today. "The worst-case scenario is that you get stuck on the coast and have no place to go."
Florida has warned its residents to be prepared for power outages and evacuations whereas South Carolina has already ordered the evacuation of coastal communities amounting to one million people. Both states have issued a state of emergency that will take effect on Wednesday. North Carolina has also declared a state of emergency for the central and eastern parts and Georgia is expected to declare one soon.
NBC News also reports that Brevard County, Port Canaveral has abandoned its cargo and naval ports in favor of evacuating on Tuesday. The Coast Guard also said that the harbor will be closed on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama will be heading to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) on Wednesday to track the progress of the storm.
