Hurricane Matthew closed in on Florida on Thursday after killing around 340 people in Haiti in North America. Considering the extent of damage this powerful storm has caused, US President Barack Obama has declared emergency in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia. As of now 3,500 Florida National Guard troops have been deployed to help evacuate about 1.5 million Floridians. All flights have been cancelled/postponed.
So what is this Hurricane Matthew that is hell bent to wreak havoc in North America? Here are 5 facts:
1. Hurricane Matthew carries strong winds of 130 mph (215 kph)
2. This storm is the first most damaging one to hit the United States in almost 10 years since Hurricane Felix in 2007.
3. The US National Weather Service said the storm could be the most powerful to strike northeast Florida in 118 years.
4. Hurricane Matthew is the strongest hurricane on record to make sighting in the Bahamas, Haiti and Cuba
5. Hurricane Matthew has been labelled Category 4 storm – This means it will deliver catastrophic damage, which includes causing power outages, uprooting trees, damaging buildings (well-constructed ones too).
In other words, Hurricane Matthew has the capacity to make it’s targetted area uninhabitable for months.
What is a hurricane?
A hurricane is a violent storm. It is a tropical cyclone in the Caribbean. It is a wind of force 12 on the Beaufort scale