Hurricane Matthew Threatens Millions

Hurricane Matthew is moving along the coast of Central Florida today bringing heavy rains and extremely strong winds. As of now, the storm has moved northwest, avoiding hitting Florida directly. The category-three storm has weakened slightly overnight, but is still bringing winds of about 120 miles per hour.

Before arriving at Florida, hurricane Matthew struck Haiti killing more than 280 people; it was the worst storm to strike Haiti in more than 50 years. The storm left behind an incredible amount of damage, including houses, crops, towns, and villages. In the city of Jeremie, 80% of buildings were destroyed. The storm highlighted the challenges that Haitians face everyday from failing infrastructure and a fragile communications system.

As the stormed neared the coast of Florida, Florida’s governor Rick Scott encouraged people to evacuate from the state’s east coast on Thursday. More than 1.5 million people were in Florida’s evacuation zones.  

As of today, the western edge of the hurricane’s center is about 45 miles east of Daytona Beach, and is moving north at 13 miles per hour. Reports say that Jacksonville is alreading experiencing strong winds and heavy rains. More than 500,000 citizens in Florida are without power already. Officials encourage residents who have not evacuated to stay in shelters. President Obama has declared a state of emergency in Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia.