Matthew this morning

This morning, the center of the Category 4 hurricane Matthew, is located 470 km southwest of Port-au-Prince, 372 km southwest of Saint-Louis-du-Sud, 423 km South South-West of Jacmel, 352 km South-West of Port-à-Piment, 378 km South of Dame-Marie and 450 km southwest of the Island of Gonâve.

Matthew is moving northwest at 9km/h. Matthew is moving toward the north near 6 mph (9 km/h). A general northward motion with some increase in forward speed is expected through Tuesday. On the forecast track, the center of Matthew will approach Jamaica and southwestern Haiti tonight, and eastern Cuba on Tuesday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 130 mph (215 km/h) with higher gusts. Some fluctuations in intensity are possible during the next couple of days, but Matthew is expected to remain a powerful hurricane through Tuesday.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 30 miles (45 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 195 miles (315 km).

Last night many departments of the Great South was already under fine rain to moderate, the sea was agitated and still is. The National Meteorological Centre (CNM) of Haiti indicates "Currently, weak to moderate rain,gusts of wind are felt and dangerous sea conditions on several locations including on the coastal areas South and the Gulf of Gonâve.

Matthew retains its strong capacity of rainfall ranging from 300 to 600 mm. These accumulations of rainfall during the passage of the Hurricane Matthew during the day of Tuesday and possibly Wednesday morning may result in severe floods, coastal flooding, importants mudslides and of flash floods across the country, but will be more intense on the departements of South, of Nippes, Grande-Anse, South East and West tonight and tomorrow."

Navigation prohibited

The SPGRD in conjunction with the CNM, the SEMANAH the OFNAC and AAN prohibits all cabotage operations in coastal areas of country in particular the South coast and the Gulf of Gonâve and the Air operations to and from the destination of Haiti until further notice.

Airports closed

The airports of Port-au-Prince and Cap Haitien are closed from Monday 3 October at 6:00 AM to Wednesday, October 5 at 6:00 AM. All incoming and outgoing flights are canceled.

Floods

Coastal flooding has was reported in Bariadelle and Petite-Rivière, 1st and 4th sections of Dame-Marie, and in the Nippes.

Evacuations

Marie Alta Jean Baptiste, Coordinator of the DPC nnounced that of evacuations were conducted to Jérémie, more than 500 people were evacuated. "Evacuations were not made under conditions very easy because the population is resistant. We recommend to the population [...] there will be a lot of water [...] make arrangements for the evacuations do on your own will, it will be easier [...] and we will avoid the loss of human lives, the evacuations are not made to be on the edge of rescue [...]"

The Red Cross deployed

Approximately 3,000 volunteers are at work including 1,600 at the southern departments of the country. 3 teams of multidisciplinary volunteers (Water and Sanitation, Health, Reporting) were dispatched, respectively, in the South, Grande Anse and the Northwest, to strengthen the capacity of existing structures in support to the departmental and communal emergency operation centre of national risk management system that coordinates the disaster response.

During the day of October 2, volunteers from the Red Cross were mobilized to raise awareness the population of risk areas to evacuate and have participated alongside the other organizations on site in evacuation operations.

Family kits were positioned in strategic points in the departments of south of country for a quick response, if necessary. Seven lifeboats and some twenty rescuers recently recycled for of interventions in marine and overflowing rivers are also mobilized.

HL/ HaitiLibre