Life threatening storm is forecast to lash Southern Haiti and Jamaica simultaneously. These storms are expected to be the most devastating cyclone to form over the Atlantic in almost a decade.
In Jamaica, weather forecast predicted that the powerful storm is expected to bring up to 64cm(25 inches) of rain, which could trigger life threatening landslides and floods. The storm could also affect the Bahamas and the eastern coast of the United States, although forecasts so far are often inaccurate. The hurricane which is being labelled "Mathew", has been ranked by the US national Hurricane Centre at category 4 of the five step Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity. Officials also warned that the high winds could batter Jamaica's main tourist areas including Montego Bay in the North.
The officials claimed that adequate preparation have been made by the national centre of Emergency operation. The US navy said some 700 families were to be airlifted to Florida and the remaining people will take shelter for a period of time.
" The remaining Military and civilian personnel will shelter in place and be able to support recovery efforts once safe to do so following the storm's passage", the navy officer made the statement. Local residents in Eastern Cuba and Guantanamo province have been given a mandatory order to evacuate the area. While the US is preparing to airlift hundreds of people from its Guantanamo Bay Naval base as the storm is expected to hit there on Tuesday, Haita( the poorest country in America) began evacuation processes by evacuating residents by boat from outlying islands in preparation for "Hurricane Matthew".
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| Cuban President Raul Castro |
Cuban President Raul Castro visited Santiago de Cuba on Saturday to personally oversee preparations as residents were seen entering and exiting super -markets in search of canned foods, water and flash lights. Residents in Jamaica have been stocking up supplies at the market place. Boating was banned by the officials who warned the fishermen not to go fishing on the sea and urged them to seek residence in government shelters in Haiti.
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| Local residents stocking up supplies |
This inevitable disaster has raised concerns of economic devastation in the poor countries in its path.
" the hurricane will cause an interruption, obviously in our economic activities here. We have allocated all the resources we can given our fiscal restraints and I think the country is prepared for the hurricane", Jamaican President told Reuters in an interview on saturday.
" We've had these kinds of occurrences in the past and it's generally bad, because Jamaica does not have proper infrastructure. In simple rainfall, we have flooding", said the trade Unionist for Jamaica's meteorologist office.
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