Una lúgubre calma ha dejado Matthew en su paso por Estados Unidos (Fotos)

Una lúgubre calma ha dejado Matthew en su paso por Estados Unidos (Fotos)

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La calma después de la tormenta en el este de Florida era lúgubre el sábado. Los residentes del área de Jacksonville evaluaban los daños mientras los primeros reportes daban cuenta de secuelas catastróficas en la histórica ciudad de St. Augustine.





En la mañana del sábado, Matthew avanzaba, degradado a categoría 1, hacia las ciudades coloniales de Charleston en Carolina del Sur y Savannah, Georgia, luego de dejar al menos 400 muertos en Haití y cinco en Florida.

El viernes de noche, el huracán categoría 3 golpeó con fuerza la costa noreste de Florida, donde la marejada inundó las calles de las zonas costeras y las crecidas del río St. Johns dejaron muelles bajo el agua.

A su paso, Matthew arrebató la electricidad a más de un millón de personas, aunque el servicio comenzaba a restablecerse el sábado, con lentitud.

Algunos vecinos de Jacksonville Beach y las playas vecinas que habían desobedecido las órdenes de evacuación deambulaban por las zonas afectadas para ver los daños.

Se veían árboles y ramas caídas, calles llenas de escombros traídos por la marejada, ya retirada, y algunas vías inundadas.

Pero la tormenta llegó con menos fuerza de la esperada y los daños no fueron tan implacables como se temía.

“Cuando la marejada llegó daba mucho miedo, era agua y más agua y más agua, y los árboles se caían”, dijo Taylor Overeen, un vendedor de 32 años que decidió enfrentar la tormenta y ahora paseaba por el bulevar costero, desierto, de Jacksonville Beach.

“Pensé que el agua iba a llegar a mi garaje, pero al final no avanzó tanto. Nunca experimenté algo así, pero no nos fue tan mal”, añadió.

– Desastre en la isla Anastasia –

No obstante, los primeros reportes indicaban una situación catastrófica en la pintoresca ciudad costera de St. Augustine, la más antigua de Florida fundada por los españoles en el siglo XVI sobre la isla Anastasia, un área particularmente vulnerable.

El comandante Chuck Mulligan, portavoz de la oficina del alguacil de condado de St. Johns -al que pertenece St. Augustine-, confirmó a la AFP esta valoración y dijo que todos los accesos al área están cerrados, incluso para residentes o periodistas.

“Tal vez mañana” las autoridades escoltarán a la prensa a la isla, dijo. “Estamos en medio de las evaluaciones iniciales. Sí, definitivamente hay algunas áreas con mucho daño, pero tenemos que garantizar que es seguro dejar entrar a la gente”.

Durante el paso de Matthew la noche del viernes, las calles de St. Augustine se veían completamente inundadas por agua de mar en las fotos compartidas en las redes sociales por los residentes que se negaron a evacuar.

La oficina del alguacil de St. Johns publicó una imagen en su Facebook que mostraba una calle absolutamente cubierta de escombros en Vilano Beach, también en la isla barrera de Anastasia.

“Esto es un ejemplo perfecto de por qué no queremos que nadie circule en las calles ahora. Simplemente no es seguro”, escribió en el pie de foto.

Más al norte, la ciudad de Atlantic Beach sufrió algunos destrozos, pero se salvó de la peor parte.

“Tenemos mucha suerte, me siento como una superviviente, ¡logramos superar una tormenta asesina!”, dijo con entusiasmo Helen Brown, de unos 60 años.

El viernes por la tarde, cuando llegaba el huracán, toda el área lucía fantasmal.

Las autopistas y calles estaban desiertas, las tiendas cerradas y no se veía un alma en la intemperie. Las ciudades costeras estaban bajo toque de queda y la visibilidad para conducir era de unos metros, antes de convertirse en una densa cortina blanca.

AFP

Fotos AFP y Reuters

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CHARLESTON, SC - OCTOBER 8: A resident makes his way into flooded E. Battery Street with a rake to clear debris from clogged gutters in the wake of Hurricane Matthew on October 8, 2016 in Charleston, South Carolina. Across the Southeast, Over 1.4 million people have lost power due to Hurricane Matthew which has been downgraded to a category 1 hurricane on Saturday morning. Brian Blanco/Getty Images/AFP
CHARLESTON, SC – OCTOBER 8: A resident makes his way into flooded E. Battery Street with a rake to clear debris from clogged gutters in the wake of Hurricane Matthew on October 8, 2016 in Charleston, South Carolina. Across the Southeast, Over 1.4 million people have lost power due to Hurricane Matthew which has been downgraded to a category 1 hurricane on Saturday morning. Brian Blanco/Getty Images/AFP
JACKSONVILLE, FL - OCTOBER 07: The steeple atop of the Morning Glory Christian Church, was toppled over by the strong winds of Hurricane Matthew, October 8, 2016 in Jacksonville, Florida. Across the Southeast, Over 1.4 million people have lost power due to Hurricane Matthew which has been downgraded to a category 1 hurricane on Saturday morning. Mark Wilson/Getty Images/AFP
JACKSONVILLE, FL – OCTOBER 07: The steeple atop of the Morning Glory Christian Church, was toppled over by the strong winds of Hurricane Matthew, October 8, 2016 in Jacksonville, Florida. Across the Southeast, Over 1.4 million people have lost power due to Hurricane Matthew which has been downgraded to a category 1 hurricane on Saturday morning. Mark Wilson/Getty Images/AFP
SAVANNAH, GA - OCTOBER 8: Frances Long examines an elm tree that fell in front of her family's home, October 8, 2016 in Savannah, Georgia. Across the Southeast, Over 1.4 million people have lost power due to Hurricane Matthew which has been downgraded to a category 1 hurricane on Saturday morning. Drew Angerer/Getty Images/AFP
SAVANNAH, GA – OCTOBER 8: Frances Long examines an elm tree that fell in front of her family’s home, October 8, 2016 in Savannah, Georgia. Across the Southeast, Over 1.4 million people have lost power due to Hurricane Matthew which has been downgraded to a category 1 hurricane on Saturday morning. Drew Angerer/Getty Images/AFP
SAVANNAH, GA - OCTOBER 8: Downed tree branches rest on a truck in a residential neighborhood, October 8, 2016 in Savannah, Georgia. Across the Southeast, Over 1.4 million people have lost power due to Hurricane Matthew which has been downgraded to a category 1 hurricane on Saturday morning. Drew Angerer/Getty Images/AFP
SAVANNAH, GA – OCTOBER 8: Downed tree branches rest on a truck in a residential neighborhood, October 8, 2016 in Savannah, Georgia. Across the Southeast, Over 1.4 million people have lost power due to Hurricane Matthew which has been downgraded to a category 1 hurricane on Saturday morning. Drew Angerer/Getty Images/AFP
CHARLESTON, SC - OCTOBER 8: Local tour guide Larry Gerald live streams himself on social media as he checks for damage at the Charleston City Market in the wake of Hurricane Matthew on October 8, 2016 in Charleston, South Carolina. Across the Southeast, Over 1.4 million people have lost power due to Hurricane Matthew which has been downgraded to a category 1 hurricane on Saturday morning. Brian Blanco/Getty Images/AFP
CHARLESTON, SC – OCTOBER 8: Local tour guide Larry Gerald live streams himself on social media as he checks for damage at the Charleston City Market in the wake of Hurricane Matthew on October 8, 2016 in Charleston, South Carolina. Across the Southeast, Over 1.4 million people have lost power due to Hurricane Matthew which has been downgraded to a category 1 hurricane on Saturday morning. Brian Blanco/Getty Images/AFP
CHARLESTON, SC - OCTOBER 8: A motorist on a scooter drives around a nearly-fallen tree in the wake of Hurricane Matthew on October 8, 2016 in Charleston, South Carolina. Across the Southeast, Over 1.4 million people have lost power due to Hurricane Matthew which has been downgraded to a category 1 hurricane on Saturday morning. Brian Blanco/Getty Images/AFP
CHARLESTON, SC – OCTOBER 8: A motorist on a scooter drives around a nearly-fallen tree in the wake of Hurricane Matthew on October 8, 2016 in Charleston, South Carolina. Across the Southeast, Over 1.4 million people have lost power due to Hurricane Matthew which has been downgraded to a category 1 hurricane on Saturday morning. Brian Blanco/Getty Images/AFP
SAVANNAH, GA - OCTOBER 8: A car drives through water on a lightly flooded road, October 8, 2016 in Savannah, Georgia. Across the Southeast, Over 1.4 million people have lost power due to Hurricane Matthew which has been downgraded to a category 1 hurricane on Saturday morning. Drew Angerer/Getty Images/AFP
SAVANNAH, GA – OCTOBER 8: A car drives through water on a lightly flooded road, October 8, 2016 in Savannah, Georgia. Across the Southeast, Over 1.4 million people have lost power due to Hurricane Matthew which has been downgraded to a category 1 hurricane on Saturday morning. Drew Angerer/Getty Images/AFP
ST AUGUSTINE, FL - OCTOBER 08: Eugene Scott walks through the muck on the floor of Athena Restaurant after it was flooded by water as Hurricane Matthew passed through the area on October 8, 2016 in St Augustine, Florida. Across the Southeast, cver 1.4 million people have lost power due to Hurricane Matthew which has been downgraded to a category 1 hurricane on Saturday morning. Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP
ST AUGUSTINE, FL – OCTOBER 08: Eugene Scott walks through the muck on the floor of Athena Restaurant after it was flooded by water as Hurricane Matthew passed through the area on October 8, 2016 in St Augustine, Florida. Across the Southeast, cver 1.4 million people have lost power due to Hurricane Matthew which has been downgraded to a category 1 hurricane on Saturday morning. Joe Raedle/Getty Images/AFP

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