Matthew à 1 p.m.

The center of the Category 4 hurricane Matthew, is located 400 km South-West of Port-au-Prince, 330 km South-West of Saint-Louis-du-Sud, 360 km South South-West of Côtes-de-Fer, 335 km South-West of Dame-Marie and 412 km South-West of the island of Gonâve.

Matthew is moving North at 9km/h and this general motion is forecast to continue through Wednesday with an increase in forward speed expected tonight.

On the forecast track, the center of Matthew will approach southwestern Haiti tonight, move near eastern Cuba late Tuesday, and move near or over portions of the southeastern and central Bahamas Tuesday night and Wednesday.

Maximum sustained winds are near 220 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 Wednesday.

Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 35 miles (55 km) from the center and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 185 miles (295 km).

The National Meteorological Centre (CNM) of Haiti indicates "cloudy weather across the country, rainfall events Continuation and winds blow more or less widespread. Rough sea conditions so extremely dangerous.

Haiti is under extremely violent threats during the passage of this hurricane. Compared to rainfall forecasts, the South of the country alone can receive a cumulative of 300 to 600 mm of rain.

At this time, there is soil saturation points at: Léogâne, Miragoâne, Petite Rivière de Nippes, Bainet and Aquin."

Shipwrecks and victims

A small boat with three fishermen sank Friday [before the passage of Matthew, therefore not directly related] off Saint-Jean, South. Two of them were able to return the land and the body of the third was found dead the next day in Hozanana Beach.

Another boat with four fishermen, broke Sunday because of rough sea in Aquin, South. Balance sheet : three survivors and one missing, no confirmation if that person has died so far.

Damages

Fifteen house roof were blown away at Île-à-Vache, the minsitre of Interior is unable to confirm this information.

Displaced persons and temporary shelters

According to latest information there are 1,247 people who are distributed in 52 temporary shelters in the Southeast, South and Grand'Anse. The counting continues.

287 are in shelters in Jacmel, 5 shelters are available for the city, 39 in the department.

"[Shelters] are open on the South Coast, but the government encourages people to move, to go to the homes of friends or relatives in safer zones [...] for provisional shelters we have a capacity of 340,000 people, so we are prepared to accommodate about 340,000 people in temporary shelters," declared the Minister of the Interior, adding that at present the authorities try to persuade people at risk to move but "in a few hours persuasion could give way to force."

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18797-haiti-flash-matthew-the-situation-this-morning.html

HL/ HaitiLibre