- Title: Hurricane Matthew devastates Haitian city of Les Cayes
- Date: 5th October 2016
- Summary: LES CAYES, HAITI (OCTOBER 5, 2016) (REUTERS) GENERAL VIEW OF DESTROYED HOMES, BOAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AS WELL AS STORM DEBRIS GENERAL VIEW OF RESIDENTS WADING THROUGH KNEE-HIGH FLOOD WATERS WOMAN STANDING BY RAILING GENERAL VIEW OF YOUNG GIRL WALKING THROUGH KNEE-HIGH FLOOD WATERS WOMAN WITH BOY IN KNEE-HIGH WATER DESTROYED WOODEN HOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (Creole) UNIDENTIFIED LES CAYES RESIDENT, SAYING: "My home was completely destroyed. I've lost everything because of the water including all of my children's documents." WOMAN WALKING AWAY THROUGH KNEE-HIGH WATER BOY WALKING THROUGH DEEP WATER IN FRONT OF HOUSE WITH ROOF MISSING FROM HURRICANE WOMEN WALKING THROUGH KNEE-HIGH WATER (SOUNDBITE) (Creole) UNIDENTIFIED LES CAYES RESIDENT, SAYING: "Our homes are completely destroyed. We've lost everything. We need help as fast as possible. We cannot be left behind." BAREFOOT MAN SWEEPING MUD FROM FRONT OF HOUSE SWOLLEN RIVER MAN CUTTING PALM TREE DOWNED IN STORM HOUSE WITH PALM TREES DOWNS MAN SITTING AND HOLDING BAG MAN REMOVING MUD FROM AROUND HOUSE HOUSE MISSING ROOF FROM HURRICANE MATTHEW PEOPLE WALKING PAST HOLE IN ROAD WET THINGS HANGING FROM BALCONY AND BLOWING IN WIND BAREFOOT BOYS PLAYING SOCCER
- Embargoed: 20th October 2016 16:53
- Keywords: Haiti Les Cayes aftermath flooding Hurricane Matthew devastation
- Location: LES CAYES, HAITI
- City: LES CAYES, HAITI
- Country: Haiti
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents
- Reuters ID: LVA00152QCT3B
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:Hurricane Matthew, the fiercest Caribbean storm in almost a decade, powered toward the Bahamas and Florida early on Wednesday (October 5) after battering Haiti and Cuba with torrential rains and killing at least 17 people.
The hurricane, which the United Nations said created the worst humanitarian crisis to hit struggling Haiti since a devastating 2010 earthquake, whipped Cuba and Haiti with 140 mile-per-hour (230 kph) winds on Tuesday (October 4), pummelling towns, farmland and resorts.
In Les Cayes, Haiti, images showed the severity of the devastation with debris strewn everywhere, including a boat in the middle of the street. Residents waded through knee-high water in search of provisions.
Matthew caused severe flooding and killed four people in the Dominican Republic as well as at least 13 in Haiti, the two countries that share the island of Hispaniola.
It was difficult to assess the severity of the impact on Haiti because Matthew knocked out communications in many of the worst-affected areas, including the main bridge that links much of the country to the southwest peninsula.
The storm carved a path of devastation through western Haiti, destroying houses, dumping boats and debris on coastal roads and heavily flooding residential areas.
Authorities said on Wednesday five people in Haiti were crushed by trees and six were swept away by swollen rivers.
Matthew was a Category Four hurricane through Tuesday but was downgraded to Category Three early on Wednesday, the Miami-based National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said.
The eye of the storm was about 115 miles (185 km) south of Long Island in the Bahamas on Wednesday morning and it was expected to be very near the east coast of Florida by Thursday evening, the NHC said.
Maximum sustained winds eased to around 115 mph (185 kph) by Wednesday morning but the NHC said it was likely to strengthen again slightly in the coming days. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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