Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Matthew's misery spreads from Haiti to Newfoundland

Heavy rain produced widespread flooding in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia on Thanksgiving Day. Above is a street in Sydney on Monday afternoon. (TWN/@redbatgirl)
Hurricane Matthew's parting shot at North America occurred Monday, as a moisture-fueled front dumped several months worth of rain in one day on Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. A state of emergency has been declared in several portions of both provinces, after 100 to 225mm of rain fell in 24 hours. Halifax reported 102.8mm, Eskansoni 199.3mm and Sydney 224.8mm. In Newfoundland, 180mm fell at Burgeo. The torrential rain produced widespread flooding of homes and businesses, as well as the collapse of several roads. Schools are flooded in many cases and, as a result, closed today.

Matthew moved into South Carolina on Saturday, before exiting the coast Sunday and merging with a cold front along the east coast. The front drew moisture north into New England and Atlantic Canada.

In Fayetteville, the North Carolina National Guard preforms a water rescue, one of thousands in that state. (@NCNationalGuard)
The death toll from Matthew is approaching 1000, including 23 in the US. Of those, nearly half occurred in North Carolina, where a combination of surge and fresh water flooding has produced catastrophic damage. On the Outer Banks, a record storm surge washed away roads and homes. In Fayetteville, firefighters and the National Guard were forced to perform thousands of water rescues. Power outages continue for hundreds of thousands of residents from Florida to Atlantic Canada. Matthew has produced an estimated $6 billion in damages in the US alone. In Haiti, residents are trying to piece together what little they have left, with relief agencies making a desperate plea for help. Thousands are homeless, with over 900 dead from Matthew. There are now fears of a cholera outbreak in the wake of the storm.

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