Hurricane Matthew slammed into South Carolina on Saturday, packing a diminished yet still powerful punch after killing almost 900 people in Haiti and causing major flooding and widespread power outages as it skirted Florida and Georgia.
The most powerful Atlantic storm since 2007 left flooding and wind damage in Florida before moving north to soak coastal Georgia and the Carolinas. Wind speeds had dropped by nearly half from their peak about a week ago to 75 miles per hour (120 kph), reducing it to a Category 1 hurricane, the weakest on the Saffir-Simpson scale of 1 to 5.
Matthew, which topped out as a ferocious Category 5 storm more than a week ago, made landfall near McClellanville, a village 30 miles north of Charleston that was devastated by a Category 4 hurricane in 1989. The National Hurricane Service warned of serious flooding in the area even as the storm slowed as it drove inland.
At least five deaths in Florida were attributed to the storm, which knocked out power to almost 1.6 million households and businesses in the southeastern United States. The stretch of the Atlantic coast from Miami to Charleston, a nearly 600-mile drive, encompasses some of the most well-known beaches, resorts and historical towns in the southeastern United States.
In Florida, 775,000 were without power, according to state utilities, while in South Carolina 433,000 had no electricity, Governor Nikki Haley said. Georgia Power said at least 275,000 were without power in the state.
Roads in Jackson Beach were littered with wood, including sections of a historic pier, and foot-deep (15 cm) water clogged intersections. Beachfront businesses suffered moderate damage.
“We rode out the storm. It wasn’t this bad at our house, but here there’s a lot of damage,” said Zowi Cuartas, 18, as he watched people pick up shattered signs near the beach. “We were prepared to lose our house.”
Governor Rick Scott of Florida said more than 6,000 people stayed in shelters overnight but he appeared relieved at a news conference on Saturday the storm had not done more harm.
“We’re all blessed that Matthew stayed off our coast,” he said, describing extensive flooding, damaged roads, downed trees and homes without electricity. He predicted most people would have power back by Sunday evening. He did not comment on the reports of four deaths.
Streets in downtown Charleston, known for its historic architecture, were flooding up to the tops of tires on some cars and a few residents waded, some barefoot, near the city’s sea wall as high tide approached. Tony Williams, 54, who said he is homeless, rode his bicycle in huge wind gusts after spending the night in the covered garage of a bank. “I just got tired of laying where I was laying,” he said, adding that he had found a raincoat blowing through a parking lot to keep him dry.
REUTERS
