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cell phone photo Oct 4 2016
Hurricane Matthew began its sweep over Haiti and is expected to have devastating consequences of life-threatening winds, landslides, and heavy rainfall, according to AP.
In advance, it was expected that over 40 inches of rain would fall in the southern parts of Haiti during the day.
Early on Tuesday morning, Haitian authorities reported a fisherman had died as a result of the hurricane and another fisherman was missing and presumed dead.
"We have already experienced death. People who were at sea. There are missing persons. They have lost their lives," says the president, Jocelerme Privert, at a press conference, according to CNN.
In addition, a teenage boy died at St Vincent when he was cleaning a waterspout at his house which ended up in a landslide.
"We are very worried"
Haiti has prepared shelter for 340,000 people in the area and Interior Minister, Francois Anick Joseph, has expressed concern over the approaching hurricane, the largest since 2007.
"We are very worried about the situation. We want everyone to understand that it is serious," again stated Francois Anick Joseph, according to Reuters.
George Hudicourt, president of the humanitarian organization Star of Hope in Haiti, said on Tuesday morning that the devastation was already noticeable.
"I have received short reports from people in the area and small communities on the coast is said to already be completely destroyed. They were too close to the sea and destroyed even before the hurricane pulled in," stated Hudicort.
cell phone photo Oct 4 2016
Already on Monday, the storm gained strength when it came crawling out of the Caribbean in a northwesterly direction at a speed of only seven kilometers per hour. It pulled out slowly, however. There is nothing to be happy about when it concerns lingering winds at speeds of up to 61 meters per second and rain that could cause great harm, reports Reuters.
"Slow motion is almost always a bad thing for all the countries affected," said John Cangialosi, a hurricane specialist at the NHC, which estimates that Matthew will continue to be a powerful hurricane on Tuesday.
The Minister has also said that the 30,000 people who are in risk areas would be evacuated before the hurricane's arrival.
Disaster preparedness
The Star of Hope organization has staff in Haiti and has also built several schools after the earthquake of 2010. Ulrika Kallin, director of the organization, told TT that school children are kept at home when the storm is sweeping through the country.
"The last thing I heard is that they are now preparing for it to end very badly," says a worried Ulrika Kallin.
However, close to one of Haiti's largest slums near the sea in the capital Port-au-Prince, the situation is, if possible, even more difficult. According to the mayor, Federic Hislain, 150,000 people whose homes are threatened are being bussed to safer places.
"These people live along the banks in a bunch of huts which usually can not even protect them from ordinary rain. Now we are talking about a strong hurricane. Imagine the disaster that we may be faced with," says Federic Hislai according to Reuters.
At the same time, many people are reluctant to leave their homes for fear of their belongings being stolen.
Tony, Bursiquoit cell phone photo Oct 4 2016, storm broke flexible banana trees
Matthew is also expected to devastate Jamaica and eastern Cuba. According to TT, in Jamaica 640 millimeters of rain and wind speeds of 64 meters per second are expected. Prime Minister Andrew Halness says that about four out of five Jamaicans are prepared. In the capital, Kingston, he stated many have stock-piled canned food, water and batteries. Major roads and streams have already been flooded and people have been seen trying to push cars through streets flooded shortly after the heavens opened up.
"The damage will affect our economic growth, which is already fragile," says Halness.
On Tuesday, the storm is expected to reach the Bahamas and on Thursday it may possibly come under the NHC to reach Florida, then in the form of a large but weak hurricane, according to Reuters.
Florida Governor Rick Scott has put the entire state of disaster, reports the Miami Herald.
"If Matthew strikes directly against Florida, it will be a massive destruction that we have not experienced in years," he says.
North Carolina has put part of the state, 66 counties, in readiness alert.
"We can not take a chance and we do not play with people's lives and livelihoods of all who live along the coast," says Governor Pat McCory, according to CBS News.
Concern for looting
Some have refused to put themselves under the protection, either because they do not think it will be as bad as the forecasts say, others out of concern to their homes should be sacked if they leave them. But many have also obeyed the authorities' requests.
"Then there are those who wish they had been evacuated, but the lack of transport, there are no buses," says Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald's Haiti correspondent.
Those who may have tried to strengthen their homes as best they can, others have turned to friends and family who live higher up, and who live in well-built houses.
"The country is bankrupt. There are problems with corruption and has wagered on Sunday's presidential election: They simply do not have the resources. One of the mayors have been forced to look for donations to store water in the shelters," she said.
Cholera affected country
Haiti is vulnerable to landslides, many trees on the country's hills have been cut to make charcoal that is sold as fuel.
But the biggest concern is water, according to Jacqueline Charles.
"Water is a big, big concern. This is a country with cholera, when it becomes heavy rains, cholera cases rise," she says.
In Les Cayes shelters have about 150 people gathered in a school.
"After the hurricane, it will be miserable. We will be hungry, the houses will be destroyed," says Rosetta Joseph, the mother of four children, to Reuters.
After Haiti, the hurricane is expected to reach Cuba and the Bahamas on Tuesday, to reach Florida on Thursday, still as a hurricane, but with lower strength.
Please give to Star of Hopes disaster fund, with cash on hand we can act effectively and swiftly.
