Hurricane Matthew was a category 4 storm that violently struck parts of Haiti on 4 October and resulted in the largest humanitarian emergency since the 2010 earthquake. caused a catastrophic amount of damage to Haiti’s infrastructure and agricultural industry, it caused extensive flooding and mudslides, damage to road infrastructure and buildings, and electricity and water shortages. As of 14 October 2016, the Directorate of Civil Protection (CPD) of Haiti had confirmed 546 deaths, 438 injuries and 128 people missing
It was the strongest storm to hit Haiti since 1964, but due to the effects of recent deforestation and soil erosion, the flooding and damage to the country was much worse than it was 50 years before.
Following the storm 2.1 million people were affected throughout the country. And 1.4 million people needed urgent lifesaving assistance. Education was also disrupted for 116,100 children of ages six to fourteen.
Widespread damage to beachfront structures occurred from Tiburon eastward to Saint-Louis-du-Sud in Sud Department (region). Media reports indicate that numerous well-constructed structures were knocked down by the pounding surf and then swept out to sea. However, in Les Cayes on the southern coast of the Tiburon Peninsula, the Haitian Government estimated that more than 10 h of hurricane-force winds and heavy rains blasted all the crops in the community's fields. At least 80% of crops were lost in some areas, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Grand'Anse Department (region), located in the northern portion of the peninsula, was hit particularly hard, with hundreds of poorly constructed homes having been completely destroyed by Matthew’s category 4 winds. In the city of Jérémie, nearly all of the corrugated-metal homes were destroyed, with only a few concrete buildings left standing. Thousands of large coconut, breadfruit, and plantain trees were blown down by the intense winds.
Official reports from the Government of Haiti and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) indicated that heavy rainfall across most of the country resulted in widespread flash flooding, river floods, and mudslides. Travelling west of Les Cayes in the Sud Department, roads were impassable for several days after Matthew made landfall due to flooding and resultant severe damage to roads and bridges throughout the region. Some communities in Grand’Anse Department were completely cut off due to flood waters. Destruction of the La Digue Bridge in Petit Goave complicated transportation of relief supplies to the hardest hit areas. The flooding ravaged large swaths of farmland and also drowned livestock.
Haitian officials indicated that at least 29,000 houses had been destroyed or heavily damaged in Grand’Anse and Sud Departments, and 17 schools were also damaged. The downing of power and telephone lines by the high winds was widespread throughout the aforementioned regions. The effects of Matthew’s intense winds and rainfall-induced flooding and mudslides resulted in the deaths of at least 546 persons.
At least 210,000 homes were either destroyed or severely damaged, with about 90% of the houses along the southern coast of the Tiburon Peninsula having been destroyed. In the same general location, about 90% of coconut trees were knocked down by Matthew’s category-4 winds,
and entire coffee and cocoa plantations were destroyed. More than 350,000 animals in the area
were also killed. Matthew's intense winds knocked down power lines across most of the Tiburon
Peninsula, leaving about 80% of residents without power. Cell phone towers were also knocked
down by the high winds, which interrupted communications and inhibited rescue efforts in the
days following the storm. According to the Haitian government, more than 85% of buildings
suffered serious damage in this region, with some having been completely destroyed. More than
80% of sheet metal roofs were damaged. More specifically, in rural areas, traditional buildings
constructed of timber framing and roofing made of sheet metal or hemp were completely destroyed. In urban areas, numerous mixed houses (i.e., concrete, chipboard, and sheet metal roofing construction) were partially destroyed.
During the aftermath, an outbreak of cholera developed due to the significant damage that
Haiti’s life support infrastructure incurred, resulting in nearly 10,000 cases according to the Pan
American Health Organization (PAHO). The PAHO also reported that more than 2.4 million
Haitians were directly affected by Hurricane Matthew. According to the Caribbean Disaster
Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA), at least 120,000 families had their homes destroyed
by Matthew.
The World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank estimated total damage in
Haiti to be about $1.9 billion USD. According to RMS, a catastrophe risk management company,
those losses are equal to more than 10 percent of the country’s GDP.
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