Hurricane Matthew was a devastating category 5 hurricane that tore through the Caribbean and the east coast of the United States during late September and early October 2016, claiming at least 609 lives, and causing $15.09 billion in damages.
The cyclone began life as a tropical wave that emerged from the coast of Africa on September 23. Moving westwards, it was slow to develop due to its rapid forward speed, until a recon flight at around 1500 UTC was able to confirm the existence of a closed low level circulation within the system, it was designated Tropical Storm Matthew.
Still struggling to maintain a low level circulation as shear increased over the system whilst nearing the Lesser Antilles, Matthew was slow to intensify, and by 1800 UTC the following day, the system had become a hurricane, and began what would eventually be described as being an impressive rate of intensification, which brought the system to category 5 strength by 0000 UTC on July 1 whilst the cyclone was located near the ABC Islands. During Matthew's impressive intensification, a band of intense, most likely supercellular in nature storms developed on the eastern side of the system, allowing for the hurricane to remain immune to shear. However, 12 hours later, Matthew began an eyewall replacement cycle that caused it to weaken to a category 4 hurricane, in which the system was able to maintain until landfall in Haiti on October 4.
After moving inland Haiti around 1200 UTC, Matthew succumbed to land interaction, and made landfall in Cuba around 2100 UTC as a mid end category 4, before weakening briefly to a category 3 hurricane as it passed through the Bahamas on October 6. Moving about 7 miles offshore Florida, much of the eyewall brought 100 mph+ wins to the Florida coastline, causing extensive damage in the process. on October 8, Matthew made landfall in South Carolina as a mid range category 1 hurricane, before turning extratropical the following day as it began to merge with another frontal system to its north.
| SSHWS category | 1-min winds | Pressure | Location | Date and time | ACE generated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Storm | 60 mph | 1009 mbar | 13.4N, 59.8W | 28/09/2016 1200 UTC | 0.2500 |
| Tropical Storm | 60 mph | 1008 mbar | 13.6N, 61.2W | 28/09/2016 1800 UTC | 0.2500 |
| Tropical Storm | 65 mph | 1004 mbar | 13.9N, 62.6W | 29/09/2016 0000 UTC | 0.3025 |
| Tropical Storm | 65 mph | 1002 mbar | 14.0N, 64.0W | 29/09/2016 0600 UTC | 0.3025 |
| Tropical Storm | 70 mph | 995 mbar | 14.1N, 65.5W | 29/09/2016 1200 UTC | 0.3600 |
| Category 1 hurricane | 75 mph | 993 mbar | 14.2N, 66.9W | 29/09/2016 1800 UTC | 0.4225 |
| Category 1 hurricane | 80 mph | 987 mbar | 14.2N, 68.1W | 30/09/2016 0000 UTC | 0.4900 |
| Category 2 hurricane | 100 mph | 979 mbar | 14.0N, 69.3W | 30/09/2016 0600 UTC | 0.7225 |
| Category 3 hurricane | 115 mph | 987 mbar | 13.8N, 70.4W | 30/09/2016 1200 UTC | 1.0000 |
| Category 4 hurricane | 140 mph | 955 mbar | 13.5N, 71.2W | 30/09/2016 1800 UTC | 1.4400 |
| Category 5 hurricane | 165 mph | 940 mbar | 13.4N, 71.9W | 01/10/2016 0000 UTC | 2.1025 |
| Category 5 hurricane | 160 mph | 942 mbar | 13.4N, 72.5W | 01/10/2016 0600 UTC | 1.9600 |
| Category 4 hurricane | 155 mph | 944 mbar | 13.4N, 73.1W | 01/10/2016 1200 UTC | 1.8225 |
| Category 4 hurricane | 150 mph | 942 mbar | 13.4N, 73.3W | 01/10/2016 1800 UTC | 1.6900 |
| Category 4 hurricane | 155 mph | 940 mbar | 13.5N, 73.5W | 02/10/2016 0000 UTC | 1.8225 |
| Category 4 hurricane | 150 mph | 941 mbar | 13.7N, 73.9W | 02/10/2016 0600 UTC | 1.6900 |
| Category 4 hurricane | 150 mph | 947 mbar | 14.0N, 74.3W | 02/10/2016 1200 UTC | 1.6900 |
| Category 4 hurricane | 155 mph | 945 mbar | 14.2N, 74.7W | 02/10/2016 1800 UTC | 1.8225 |
| Category 4 hurricane | 145 mph | 944 mbar | 14.5N, 75.0W | 03/10/2016 0000 UTC | 1.5625 |
| Category 4 hurricane | 145 mph | 942 mbar | 14.9N, 75.0W | 03/10/2016 0600 UTC | 1.5625 |
| Category 4 hurricane | 140 mph | 941 mbar | 15.4N, 75.0W | 03/10/2016 1200 UTC | 1.4400 |
| Category 4 hurricane | 150 mph | 938 mbar | 15.9N, 74.9W | 03/10/2016 1800 UTC | 1.6900 |
| Category 4 hurricane | 155 mph | 934 mbar | 16.6N, 74.6W | 04/10/2016 0000 UTC | 1.8225 |
| Category 4 hurricane | 155 mph | 932 mbar | 17.5N, 74.4W | 04/10/2016 0600 UTC | 1.8225 |
| Category 4 hurricane | 145 mph | 937 mbar | 18.4N, 74.3W | 04/10/2016 1200 UTC | 1.5625 |
| Category 4 hurricane | 130 mph | 947 mbar | 19.3N, 74.3W | 04/10/2016 1800 UTC | 1.3225 |
| Category 3 hurricane | 125 mph | 949 mbar | 20.1N, 74.4W | 05/10/2016 0000 UTC | 1.2100 |
| Category 3 hurricane | 120 mph | 960 mbar | 20.7N, 74.4W | 05/10/2016 0600 UTC | 1.0025 |
| Category 3 hurricane | 115 mph | 962 mbar | 21.4N, 74.8W | 05/10/2016 1200 UTC | 1.0000 |
| Category 3 hurricane | 115 mph | 963 mbar | 22.2N, 75.4W | 05/10/2016 1800 UTC | 1.0000 |
| Category 3 hurricane | 120 mph | 960 mbar | 23.0N, 76.0W | 06/10/2016 0000 UTC | 1.0025 |
| Category 3 hurricane | 125 mph | 952 mbar | 23.8N, 76.7W | 06/10/2016 0600 UTC | 1.2100 |
| Category 4 hurricane | 140 mph | 937 mbar | 24.7N, 77.5W | 06/10/2016 1200 UTC | 1.4400 |
| Category 4 hurricane | 140 mph | 937 mbar | 25.7N, 78.3W | 06/10/2016 1800 UTC | 1.4400 |
| Category 4 hurricane | 130 mph | 937 mbar | 26.7N, 79.0W | 07/10/2016 0000 UTC | 1.3225 |
| Category 3 hurricane | 125 mph | 939 mbar | 27.7N, 79.7W | 07/10/2016 0600 UTC | 1.2100 |
| Category 3 hurricane | 120 mph | 944 mbar | 28.9N, 80.3W | 07/10/2016 1200 UTC | 1.0025 |
| Category 3 hurricane | 115 mph | 936 mbar | 29.7N, 80.7W | 07/10/2016 1800 UTC | 1.0000 |
| Category 2 hurricane | 110 mph | 949 mbar | 30.7N, 80.6W | 08/10/2016 0000 UTC | 0.9025 |
| Category 2 hurricane | 100 mph | 953 mbar | 31.6N, 80.6W | 08/10/2016 0600 UTC | 0.7225 |
| Category 1 hurricane | 90 mph | 963 mbar | 32.5N, 79.9W | 08/10/2016 1200 UTC | 0.6400 |
| Category 1 hurricane | 80 mph | 973 mbar | 33.5N, 79.0W | 08/10/2016 1800 UTC | 0.4900 |
| Category 1 hurricane | 80 mph | 973 mbar | 33.5N, 79.0W | 08/10/2016 1200 UTC | 0.4900 |
| Category 1 hurricane | 80 mph | 981 mbar | 33.9N, 77.3W | 09/10/2016 0000 UTC | 0.4900 |
| Category 1 hurricane | 80 mph | 983 mbar | 34.7N, 76.0W | 09/10/2016 0600 UTC | 0.4900 |
| Total ACE | 50.5700 |