Hurricane Matthew batters southern Caribbean in rare shift

ORANJESTAD, Aruba People in the Dutch Caribbean islands reinforced their homes and stocked up on emergency supplies Thursday as Hurricane Matthew took a rare turn through the southern Caribbean ahead of an expected shift to the north.

Matthew was passing to the north of the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao during the night, before shifting on a course predicted to take it toward Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti over the weekend.

By late Thursday, Aruba was seeing some rain and sea surge had covered part of a road on the northwest side of the island. There were no reports of evacuations. In Curacao, some streets were flooded, and there was a light rain falling on Bonaire.

The so-called “ABC islands” of the Dutch Caribbean, which were under a tropical storm watch, are usually spared from tropical storms. Matthew’s approach prompted long lines at gas stations and supermarkets. Authorities in Aruba said government offices would be closed Friday and Curacao’s parliamentary elections were postponed until next week.

The government of Colombia also issued a tropical storm watch for its coast from Riohach to the Venezuelan border.

Matthew passed over the eastern Caribbean on Wednesday, causing at least one death. Officials in St. Vincent said a 16-year-old boy was crushed by a boulder as he tried to clear a blocked drain.

At 8 p.m. EDT, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 75mph and was centered 150 miles north-northeast of Curacao, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. It is traveling westward at 15 mph.

Hurricane-force winds extended out for 70 miles and tropical storm-force winds extended outward up to 185 miles to clear a blocked drain.

At 8 p.m. EDT, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 75mph and was centered 150 miles north-northeast of Curacao, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami. It is traveling westward at 15 mph.

Hurricane-force winds extended out for 70 miles and tropical storm-force winds extended outward up to 185 miles.