Hurricane Matthew downgraded

Deadly hurricane Matthew had lost some of its punch after it made landfall in the US state of South Carolina.

Earlier it stayed just offshore as it passed Georgia and then Florida where it killed five people, despite wind speeds dropping to under 85 miles an hour, making it the lowest category hurricane.

The interstate highway in South Carolina was severely flooded and altogether Matthew knocked out power to around one and a half million households and businesses.

All three states were hit by torrential rain and flooding as well as knocked down trees and damaged houses.

Around three million people were warned they should evacuate the three states but many who had survived previous hurricanes stayed put.

In Florida people gathered up aid for the Bahamas which had been battered by one hundred and forty miles an hour winds on Friday, luckily without killing anyone.

“In less than 24 hours, we’ve gathered over 25,000 bottles of water. Thousands of diapers; there’s food; there’s tools – all types of stuff – to get to the Bahamians. We’re hoping that we can help them out in the wake of Matthew,” said Chuck Lindsey, Marathon City Manager.

Much of Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas, was left without power, palm trees were uprooted and the roofs of some buildings were torn off.

Those tourists who had decided to wait out the hurricane rather than evacuate the Bahamas sought shelter in hotels.