Hurricane Matthew was a powerful tropical cyclone that left a significant impact across parts of the Atlantic basin in 2016. Its trajectory brought strong winds and heavy rainfall to numerous communities. The storm’s progression from its genesis to its eventual weakening illustrates the complex dynamics of hurricane systems.
From Formation to Caribbean Fury
Hurricane Matthew began as a tropical wave off the west coast of Africa on September 22, 2016. It organized into Tropical Storm Matthew east of the Lesser Antilles on September 28, then intensified into a hurricane north of Venezuela and Colombia on September 29. Matthew rapidly strengthened, reaching Category 5 intensity on October 1 with peak sustained winds of 165 miles per hour, becoming the lowest latitude Category 5 hurricane on record in the Atlantic basin.
After reaching peak strength, Matthew turned northward towards the Greater Antilles. It made its first landfall as a Category 4 hurricane near Les Anglais, Haiti, on October 4, bringing winds of approximately 145 miles per hour. This was the first Category 4 storm to impact Haiti since 1964, causing widespread damage and significant rainfall, with some areas receiving 20 to 40 inches. Matthew then struck Cuba on October 4 or early October 5 as a Category 4 hurricane, impacting areas near MaisÃ. The mountainous terrain of Haiti and Cuba caused the storm to weaken to Category 3 status as it moved into the Atlantic. Matthew then traversed the Bahamas, making a third landfall on Grand Bahama Island as a minimal Category 4 hurricane on October 6.
Tracking the U.S. East Coast
Hurricane Matthew approached the southeastern United States after its track through the Caribbean. The storm moved parallel to the Florida coastline, remaining just offshore as a major hurricane. While it did not make landfall in Florida, the state experienced hurricane-force wind gusts exceeding 100 miles per hour in coastal areas like Cape Canaveral, and substantial storm surge. Over one million people in Florida lost power due to the storm’s proximity.
Matthew continued its northward trajectory, affecting the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina. Torrential rains and significant storm surge were reported in these states, with water levels reaching over 7 feet above normal tides in locations such as Fort Pulaski, Georgia. The storm made its lone U.S. landfall on October 8 as a Category 1 hurricane, south of McClellanville, South Carolina, within the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge.
After making landfall in South Carolina, the hurricane moved just offshore of the North Carolina coast. Coastal areas of North Carolina experienced heavy rainfall, with some regions receiving more than 10 inches, leading to widespread inland flooding. Matthew’s track along the southeastern U.S. coast brought tropical-storm-force winds as far north as the Virginia Tidewater region.
Matthew’s Dissipation and Final Footprint
After its impact on the U.S. East Coast, Hurricane Matthew began to weaken and lose its tropical characteristics. The storm moved away from the North Carolina coast, heading northeastward into the open Atlantic. By October 9, Matthew transitioned into an extratropical cyclone while located southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The remnants of Matthew continued to accelerate towards Canada, eventually being absorbed by a cold front around October 10.
Matthew’s path brought catastrophic damage to Haiti, making it the deadliest Atlantic hurricane since 2005. Its extensive footprint spanned from its formation off Africa to its dissipation in the North Atlantic, causing widespread devastation across Cuba and the Bahamas, and significant coastal flooding, power outages, and rainfall along the U.S. East Coast.