At the beginning of the year probably no one would have had any idea that a devastating hurricane would literally take country after country by storm. Nearly nine months later, Hurricane Matthew formed near the Windward Islands on September 28th  and devastated many families, homes, businesses, and livelihoods.

Hurricane Matthew took a great toll on multiple different states in the United States including Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. In addition to the places in the U.S., countries including Haiti, Cuba, and the Bahamas were also devastated by the tragic winds and waves that comprised Hurricane Matthew.

Matthew formed a wave that pushed off the African Coast. From there it went on to leave a path of total destruction from the Caribbean to the Southeast United States. The southeastern United States was hit hard by Hurricane Matthew hitting the states of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. It even made one official U.S. landfall on October 8th here in South Carolina at McClellanville as a Category 1 hurricane. It caused disaster, leaving floods and destruction in its path. It shut down many schools, colleges, and universities due to Governor Nikki Haley’s urge to evacuate including College of Charleston, Coastal Carolina University, and even the University of South Carolina, canceling classes and closing campus.

I for one didn’t really understand how bad Hurricane Matthew had really hit here in the Carolinas. That is, until my dad, an agent with SLED, got called out to work “Hurricane Duty” in Horry, Marion, and Dillon County near Myrtle Beach. I received picture after picture of how bad the damage was. I even learned that the pier in Surfside fell due to harsh waves and wind. I was lucky enough to get a first-hand account of someone that was actually there to experience and be a part of the recovery of what happened. According to my dad, DeWitt McCraw, Jr., “There were trees down everywhere. Power was out, roads were washed away at the bridges, animals dead in the middle of the road, and water waist-deep.” He then went on to say, “It was such a depressing time for everyone. Not only were we dealing with hurricane recovery, but also robberies and theft. People were taking what was already a disaster for so many and turning it into more crime and more disaster.”

The recovery from Hurricane Matthew is still continuing today. The rebuilding of communities, homes, hotels, and roads are continuing as people make their way back to the coast. Recovery is in full blast and hopes for the future are looking bright.