The Horror of Hurricane Matthew by the Numbers

By Yessenia Funes Oct 11, 2016

Hurricane Matthew moved out to sea yesterday (October 10), taking with it much of the progress Haiti had made since its 2010 earthquake. The Category 4 storm briefly peaked at Category 5 during its course, making it the Atlantic’s strongest one in nearly a decade.

Now that Matthew has left, authorities can go into affected areas and see how severe the damage is. The numbers below are a frightening signal of what’s to come as climate change increases the frequency and intensity of such hurricanes.

877
The number of deaths in Haiti [Reuters]

34
The number of U.S. deaths: 15 in North Carolina, 12 in Florida, three in South Carolina, three in Georgia and one in Virginia [The Weather Channel]

2,000
Number of rescues state, local and FEMA officials conducted in North Carolina [FEMA]

160
The strongest mile per hour wind speed Hurricane Matthew sustained during its brief Category 5 stint on October 1 in the Caribbean [The Weather Channel]

31
Number of U.S. counties where President Barack Obama declared emergencies yesterday [The Weather Channel]

1
The number of extra days a federal judge added to Florida’s voter registration deadline in light of the hurricane [Tampa Bay Times]

$119 million
How much money the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is requesting to get assistance and protection to the 750,000 Haitians most in need over the next three months

650,000
Number of customers in North Carolina and Virginia without electricity at publishing time [The New York Times]