Southern Caribbean braces for brush with Hurricane Matthew
ORANJESTAD- People in the Dutch Caribbean islands reinforced their homes and stocked up on emergency supplies Thursday as Hurricane Matthew took a rare course through the Southern Caribbean.
Hurricane Matthew was expected to pass to the north of the islands of Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao, before shifting on a course that was expected to take it toward Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti over the weekend.
The so-called "ABC islands" of the Dutch Caribbean are outside the hurricane belt and are usually spared from tropical storms. Matthew's approach prompted long lines at gas stations and supermarkets. Authorities in Aruba said government offices would be closed Friday and in Curacao parliamentary elections were postponed until next week.
