It felt like the entire East Coast was holding its breath in early October 2016. If you were living anywhere between Florida and the Outer Banks, you probably remember the frantic grocery store runs and the endless loop of Jim Cantore on the Weather Channel. But when people ask when did matthew hit, the answer depends entirely on where you were standing. This wasn't just a single "hit"—it was a week-long grind that left a scar from the Caribbean all the way to the Canadian Maritimes.
Honestly, the storm was a freak of nature from the jump. Most hurricanes take their time to build, but Matthew went from a humdrum Category 1 to a terrifying Category 5 monster in just 24 hours while it was chilling north of Colombia. By the time it set its sights on land, it was clear this wasn't going to be a "standard" storm season.
The First Blow: Haiti and the Caribbean
The real tragedy of Hurricane Matthew started well before it reached American soil. On October 4, 2016, the storm’s eye wall slammed into the Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti. It was a Category 4 beast at that point, packing 145 mph winds.
You’ve gotta understand the geography here. Haiti’s southern peninsula is beautiful, but the infrastructure couldn't handle 20 to 40 inches of rain. That is not a typo. Some areas literally got three feet of water in a day. It wiped out entire villages, destroyed 90% of the homes in some coastal areas, and killed over 500 people—though unofficial counts suggest the number was much higher.
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After it chewed through Haiti, it didn't slow down much. It hit eastern Cuba later that same day (October 4) and then spent the next 48 hours, October 5 and 6, absolutely thrashing the Bahamas. Nassau and Grand Bahama took a direct hit. Imagine 140 mph winds just sitting over a low-lying island for hours. It was brutal.
When Did Matthew Hit the United States?
This is where the timeline gets a bit weird for folks in the U.S. because the storm "hugged" the coast rather than just crashing into it.
Florida’s Close Call (October 7)
Florida residents spent the night of October 6 into October 7 terrified. The eye of the storm was less than 10 miles offshore at some points near Cape Canaveral. Even though the center stayed over the Atlantic, the western eyewall—the part with the nastiest winds—scraped the coast.
If you were in St. Augustine, you saw the ocean literally climb over the seawall. In Jacksonville, the storm surge turned streets into rivers. But technically, it didn't "landfall" here. It just teased the state with Category 3 and 4 conditions before moving north.
Georgia and the record-breaking surge
By October 8, the storm was wobbling past Georgia. Savannah got absolutely drenched. Interestingly, Fort Pulaski recorded its highest storm tide ever at that time—over 12 feet. It’s kinda wild to think a storm that stayed offshore could still break records like that, but that’s the power of a massive wind field pushing water into a corner.
The Official Landfall in South Carolina
Finally, at about 11:00 AM on October 8, 2016, Hurricane Matthew made its first and only official U.S. landfall. It hit near McClellanville, South Carolina, as a Category 1 hurricane.
By this point, people were starting to let their guard down because "Category 1" sounds manageable compared to a Category 5. That was a mistake. The wind wasn't the problem anymore; the water was.
The "Silent" Disaster in North Carolina
While South Carolina took the hit, North Carolina got the aftermath. On October 8 and 9, the storm dumped a staggering amount of rain on the eastern part of the state. Fayetteville and Lumberton were underwater.
- Lumberton: The Lumber River rose to 24 feet, which was four feet higher than the previous record.
- Infrastructure: Sections of I-40 and I-95—the main arteries of the East Coast—were shut down for days because they were literally submerged.
- Fatalities: Most of the U.S. deaths from Matthew happened in North Carolina, largely due to people being swept away in their cars by flash flooding.
It’s a sobering reminder that the "category" of a storm only measures wind speed, not the deadly potential of the rain it carries.
Why Matthew Still Matters Today
When we look back at when did matthew hit, we have to acknowledge how it changed the way we look at hurricane forecasts. It was the first Category 5 in the Atlantic since Felix in 2007. It proved that rapid intensification is a massive threat that we’re still struggling to predict perfectly.
The storm officially dissipated on October 10, 2016, after moving off the coast of North Carolina and becoming a post-tropical cyclone. But the recovery took years. In Haiti, the agricultural sector was basically reset to zero. In the U.S., the total damage bill topped $10 billion.
Key Takeaways for Future Seasons:
- Don't obsess over the "Eye": Florida didn't get a direct landfall, but it still suffered billions in damage. The impacts extend far from the center.
- Water is the real killer: Most people prepare for wind (boarding up windows), but it's the inland flooding that often causes the most loss of life.
- The "C" Word (Category): A Category 1 storm can be more devastating than a Category 3 if it moves slowly and dumps record rain.
To get ahead of the next big one, start by auditing your local flood zone maps. Most people rely on outdated info. Check the FEMA Flood Map Service Center to see how your specific neighborhood might handle a 15-inch rain event. If you live in an area prone to "training" storms—where rain clouds follow each other like train cars—invest in a high-quality battery-powered sump pump. Matthew proved that when the power goes out, the water keeps rising.