By Ally Keefer

Hurricane Matthew left many devastated in the Caribbean during the first week of October. On September 28, 2016, this deadly hurricane formed near the Windward Islands. The hurricane proceeded to Cuba and Haiti on October 4 as a category 4 hurricane. On October 6, the hurricane struck the Bahamas. Following the Bahamas, the hurricane targeted Florida on October 7. It then moved to South Carolina on October 8, and on October 9 the hurricane became a tropical storm.

Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, received the most damage. Due to unstable housing and little communication, the people were surprised and harmed. An American who lives in Haiti reported that on Sunday, October 2, many Haitians did not even know that the hurricane existed. This was two days before their lives would be changed yet again. After the woman told them about the hurricane approaching, several Haitians went out to warn other people. Two days later, Hurricane Matthew hit Haiti.

By October 13, the death toll was up to 1,000 people in Haiti. During the aftermath of this disaster, there are many concerns for the country. One of the top concerns goes back to the earthquake that took place in 2010. Now that there is limited clean water, cholera is speculated to take many more lives, a disease that had not appeared in the country until aid workers from other cholera-ridden regions of the world began their post-earthquake work in Haiti. Currently, Haiti is receiving aid from several countries, including the US.

Haiti was not the only country affected in this disaster. The death rate in the US is up to 40 after Matthew hit Georgia, Florida and North and South Carolina. Because of the technology here, Americans were able to observe the hurricane warnings and evacuate. Before the hurricane hit the US, Floridians were evacuating using both the north and southbound sides of the interstate to head north in a frantic evacuation.