There’s a small matter of a Category 3 storm currently rolling up the USA’s west coast. Its name is Hurricane Matthew, and it has already laid waste to Haiti (killing over 300) and much of the Bahamas.
It’s a devastating storm, and one of the few to bring Florida to a standstill. As a result, Hurricane Matthew’s passing is an event that the likes of Facebook, Instagram and especially Twitter is capturing in near real time.
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While Twitter is usually one social network that privileges text over visuals, some videos just provide all the content you need.
On that note, have a look at the Twitter videos, GIFs and loops that encapsulate just how powerful Hurricane Matthew is.
Very turbulent flight today into the eye of powerful Cat 4 #HurricaneMatthew on WP-3D Orion #NOAA43. Credit: CAPT Tim Gallagher/NOAA pic.twitter.com/8VJpKzs3mn
— NOAAHurricaneHunters (@NOAA_HurrHunter) October 7, 2016
Hurricane Matthew, at the time of writing, remains a Category 3 storm with winds in excess of 190km/h
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hurricane Hunters team flies through the eye of tropical storms to gauge their destructive power. Yes, in an actual human-piloted plane. While it might seem like a totally idiotic thing to do, it’s an important source of information for those on the ground, helping them formulate storm models and issue advisories.
This is one such video, flying through the eye of Hurricane Matthew.
Scene right now in #DaytonaBeach, Florida as winds pick up during low tide. https://t.co/FFvOrgupbg @LelandVittert #HurricaneMatthew pic.twitter.com/3q6Y9NCAR5
— Fox News (@FoxNews) October 7, 2016
Daytona Beach, Florida might have seen the worse of the storm, but when this clip was filmed, Hurricane Matthew had barely arrived. Still a Category 3 storm at this point, Daytona Beach was already mostly under water in the early hours of the morning.
Take a look at this video from a viewer in Port St. John. The waves are crashing. #HurricaneMatthew pic.twitter.com/TFxO2hrZR5
— WESH 2 News (@WESH) October 7, 2016
Port St. John is another 12 000-strong region on the Florida coast currently being battered by strong winds and rain. But it’s not only the water falling from the sky that could be an issue — the storm surge (and the crashing waves) can be seen and heard in this video.
What #HurricaneMatthew looks like from a safe spot inside. pic.twitter.com/ogkYh9CgyN
— Mara Bellaby (@MBellaby) October 7, 2016
While many of these videos were taken outside in the heat of the storm, this particular reel takes a look at Hurricane Matthew looking out from a home in Florida.
High resolution model of #HurricaneMatthew makes #Matthew literally look like a buzzsaw going up the #Florida coastline. pic.twitter.com/HCGtUfL7PM
— Mike Thomas (@MikeTFox5) October 7, 2016
While not a video, this high resolution model of Matthew’s winds really shows just how destructive this storm is, especially considering it’s skirting the coastline, possibly all the way north to New York.
Feature image: NASA Earth Observatory/Joshua Stevens
