--- description: The key difference between countries that succeed in weathering a storm and those that struggle is preparation and poverty title: Hurricane Matthew: Why Haiti Was Hit Hardest image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1b965e2a761d498f/6988a938bc6cfc1d083dedab/haiti-matthew-hurricane1.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Science](/section/science/) ## Science Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Why Hurricane Matthew Hit Haiti So Hard ## Video: Here's Why Hurricanes Are Getting Stronger [Watch (HLS stream): Here's Why Hurricanes Are Getting Stronger](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/jQNV5SKM.m3u8) (1:09)  _Published 2016-10-06. Weather forecasters expect Hurricane Matthew to drop nearly a foot of of water in some places with winds hitting 140 mph. Those are frightening numbers, but meteorologists say a phenomenon known as storm surge may be responsible for the most damage._  by [Justin Worland](/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Oct 7, 2016 4:00 PM CUT  A man gestures while standing in his house damaged in hurricane Matthew, in Deson, southwest Haiti, on Oct. 7, 2016. A man gestures while standing in his house damaged in hurricane Matthew, in Deson, southwest Haiti, on Oct. 7, 2016.Hector Retamal—AFP/Getty Images  by [Justin Worland](/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Oct 7, 2016 4:00 PM CUT Before [Hurricane Matthew](http://time.com/4475671/florida-hurricane-hermine/ "undefined") hit the United States this week the storm tore through the Caribbean, bringing torrential rain and high winds to Haiti, Cuba and the Bahamas. But despite hitting each of these countries hard, Haiti faced the greatest devastation with [more than 470 killed](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-matthew-haiti-idUSKCN12719D "undefined") compared to just a handful in its neighboring Caribbean countries. The key difference between countries that succeed in weathering a storm and those that struggle is preparation and poverty. Perhaps most importantly, the national government regularly ranks among the world’s least effective and has invested little in disaster preparedness and response. In the hours leading up to the storm many Haitians were unaware of the impending disaster and continued with their daily lives. In the aftermath, bodies were left in the street and the government failed to provide food and water, according to a Reuters [report](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-storm-matthew-haiti-protests-idUSKCN1262NB "undefined"). **Read More:** [**See the Path of Hurricane Matthew**](http://time.com/4522859/hurricane-matthew-path-track-2016/ "undefined") One major factor is simple poverty, which tends to exacerbate the effects of natural disasters. Haiti is the poorest country in the northern hemisphere with 2.5 million people living in [extreme poverty](http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/opinion/2014/07/16/haiti-2030-un-pays-sans-pauvrete-extreme-catastrophes-naturelles "undefined"), and the citizens lack the resources to prepare on their own. The lack of preparation extends to the shoddy construction of buildings in the shanty towns where most of the country’s urban residents live. The country lacks a national building code and engineers often design to standards established for other countries that do not necessarily account for the country’s risks, according to a [report](http://www.aia.org/aiaucmp/groups/aia/documents/pdf/aiab082363.pdf "undefined") from the American Institute of Architects in the aftermath of the country’s 2010 earthquake. The limited building regulations are practically never enforced. Hurricane Matthew comes just six years after an earthquake in the country that killed more than 100,000 people, according to a U.S. Geological Survey [estimation](https://web.archive.org/web/20130605122458/http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/world/most%5Fdestructive.php "undefined"). That event destroyed three quarters of Port-au-Prince’s buildings, including the Presidential Palace, according to the AIA report. In comparison, Cuba implemented its thorough disaster preparedness plan in advance of the storm. The country has a mandatory hurricane drill every May in advance of hurricane season, according to a Center for International Policy [report](https://www.american.edu/clals/upload/CIP-Disaster-Relief-Management.pdf "undefined"). The country blasts out notices about the upcoming storm on state-run television and radio, warning people to take cover. Hundreds of homes were destroyed but no deaths have been reported. **Read More:** [**Hurricane Matthew Will Hurt African Americans and Low-Income People Most**](http://time.com/4522780/hurricane-matthew-race-low-income-communities/ "undefined") The gap between the damage wrought by extreme weather events in wealthy countries and their underdeveloped counterparts will only grow in the coming years as climate change continues, climate policy experts say. Building new infrastructure to adapt—sea walls, elevated building and much more—can cost billions leaving the measures out of reach of poor countries that have emitted few of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change. Addressing that gap was a key sticking point in last year’s [Paris Agreement](http://time.com/4146764/paris-agreement-climate-cop-21/ "undefined") with developing countries ultimately committing to [mobilizing $100 billion](http://time.com/4138150/finance-paris-climate-conference/ "undefined") in financing for the developing world to address climate change. But unfortunately even those funds will not be enough to stave off disaster in the short term in much of the developing world. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4522707/hurricane-matthew-haiti/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4522707/hurricane-matthew-haiti/"},"headline":"Why Hurricane Matthew Hit Haiti So Hard","datePublished":"2016-10-07T16:00:55.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T01:04:24.077Z","description":"Other nearby countries survived without a death","url":"https://time.com/4522707/hurricane-matthew-haiti/","keywords":["Haiti","Natural Disasters"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1b965e2a761d498f/6988a938bc6cfc1d083dedab/haiti-matthew-hurricane1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Worland","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/justin-worland/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt1b965e2a761d498f/6988a938bc6cfc1d083dedab/haiti-matthew-hurricane1.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"HAITI-CARIBBEAN-WEATHER-HURRICANE","caption":"A man gestures while stangin in his house that was damaged in hurricane Matthew, in Deson, near Les Cayes in southwest Haiti, on October 7, 2016. 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