‘Life-Threatening’ Floods Expected as Jamaicans Brace for Hurricane Matthew

Hundreds of Guantanamo Bay employees were evacuated as Hurricane Matthew tore through the Caribbean on Sunday with 145 mile-per-hour winds. The fierce storm is expected to slam Jamaica and Haiti on Monday, with the first effects already felt Sunday night and meteorologists warning of rainfall totals of as much as 40 inches. The U.S. National Weather Service warned of “life-threatening flash floods and mudslides” Sunday, adding that “preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion.” The storm is expected to hit the southern coast of Jamaica, where Kingston, the densely populated capital, is located. Haiti, still recovering from a 2010 earthquake that killed more than 200,000, was also in Hurricane Matthew’s path Sunday, as was Cuba. U.S. authorities evacuated more than 700 employees from the naval base at Guantanamo Bay as the storm approached. Military planes airlifted employees and their families—including pets—to Florida to escape the hurricane’s wrath, officials said.

Photos: Bracing for Hurricane Matthew