Hurricane brings strong winds and
flooding to Haiti
By Associated Press, adapted by Newsela staff on 10.06.16
Word Count 369
People stand on the coast watching the surf produced by Hurricane Matthew on the outskirts of Kingston, Jamaica,
October 3, 2016. A hurricane warning is in effect for Jamaica, Haiti and the Cuban provinces of Guantanamo, Santiago
de Cuba, Holguin, Granma and Las Tunas, as well as the southeastern Bahamas. Photo: AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — Hurricane Matthew roared into Haiti on Tuesday. The huge
storm threatened the poor Caribbean country with winds and flooding. It hit a mostly
undeveloped corner of the island.
The dangerous storm reached southern Haiti around dawn. Many people live along that
coast. Their small homes are made of wood or cinder blocks. Matthew's winds could reach
145 mph. Those homes cannot withstand that much force.
Matthew has caused bad damage. Many houses have been destroyed. No one knows how
bad it is yet.
Government Offers Help
The Haitian government had tried to remove people from the most dangerous places
before the storm. Many hesitated to leave their property. Some looked for shelter only after
the storm hit.
Matthew was expected to bring 15 to 25 inches of rain, said Dennis Feltgen. As much as
40 inches of rain could fall in some places. Feltgen is a meteorologist and spokesman for
the U.S. National Hurricane Center. He said the storm was very strong in Haiti.
As the sun started to come up, people in the Haitian town of Port Salut described what
they experienced. Winds howled. Big waves slammed the beaches. The water washed
over the coastal road.
"The winds are making so many bad noises. We're just doing our best to stay calm," said
Jenniflore Desrosiers. She huddled with her family in her cinder-block home. It had sprung
many leaks from pelting rain.
Overnight Flooding
Many towns partially flooded overnight. Landslides and downed trees on roadways
prevented people from traveling in many places. A few places seem to have lost power.
Cellphone service was spotty.
The Haitian government tried to move people living there to shelters it had set up. Many of
them refused.
"If we lose our things we are not going to get them back!" said Toussaint Laine. Laine is
unemployed. He lives with his family in a small house.
Some poor families live on the hillsides near Port-Au-Prince. They tried to strengthen their
homes and hoped for the best.
"I know my house could easily blow away. All I can do is pray and then pray some more,"
Ronlande Francois said.
Matthew is the strongest hurricane in this part of the world since 2007.
Quiz
1
Select the paragraph from the section "Overnight Flooding" that BEST describes the effects of
the hurricane.
2
Read the sentence from the introduction [paragraphs 1-3].
The huge storm threatened the poor Caribbean country with winds
and flooding.
Which sentence from the article BEST supports the statement above?
3
4
(A)
Those homes cannot withstand that much force.
(B)
Many hesitated to leave their property.
(C)
The water washed over the coastal road.
(D)
"The winds are making so many bad noises."
What is the MAIN reason why some people did not want to leave their homes before the
hurricane came?
(A)
They had made their homes strong and safe.
(B)
They were worried about losing their belongings.
(C)
They wanted to be with their families.
(D)
They felt they needed to pray.
What did the meteorologist Dennis Feltgen think about Hurricane Matthew?
(A)
He thought it is the worst storm since 2007.
(B)
He thought that people must move to shelters.
(C)
He thought the winds would cause great harm to homes.
(D)
He thought it would bring a lot of rain to the area.