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(CNN) As Hurricane Matthew reached US waters Friday, it left behind a humanitarian crisis in Haiti and destruction in the Bahamas and Cuba.

At least 276 people have been killed so far in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, officials said, with the death toll expected to rise.

Haiti, still recovering from the catastrophic 2010 earthquake which killed hundreds of thousands, was hit hardest with more than 271 people reported dead as of Thursday evening, local time.

As the death toll rises and crucial infrastructure crumbles, hundreds of thousands have been displaced.

Mourad Wahba, the UN secretary-general's deputy special representative for Haiti, described Matthew as the "largest humanitarian event" since the earthquake.

Four people died in the Dominican Republic, the country's government said. Authorities there did not provide details about how they died.

In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, a teenage boy died in a landslide as he was cleaning a drain behind his house, the National Emergency Management Office said. He died Wednesday after storms from Matthew passed.

Haiti: 'A total disaster'

Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti A man stands in the remnants of a house destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in the southern town of Les Cayes on Monday, October 10. Matthew wreaked havoc in Haiti, killing hundreds, destroying homes and knocking out electricity in the impoverished Caribbean nation. More than 1.4 million people are in need of urgent assistance, a UN official says. Hide Caption 1 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti Two young men who lost their homes awake from a tent in the courtyard of a school where they took shelter in Port Salut on October 10. Hide Caption 2 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti A woman sits in debris where her house once stood in Les Cayes on October 10. Hide Caption 3 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti A group works to clear debris from the streets in Les Anglais on October 10. Hide Caption 4 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti A man uses salvaged material to build a makeshift roof for his damaged house in Port-a-Piment on October 10. Hide Caption 5 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti People sick with cholera receive medical assistance at a hospital in Jeremie on October 10. The destruction from Matthew has accelerated the cholera epidemic in Haiti and undermined strides made in fighting the waterborne disease, the country's leader says. Hide Caption 6 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti People cross one of the many southern coastal rivers where bridges were knocked out or damaged near Port-a-Piment on October 10. Hide Caption 7 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti People pass damaged buildings in a seaside fishing neighborhood of Port Salut on Sunday, October 9. Hide Caption 8 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti People bathe and wash clothes in a river that runs through Roche-à-Bateaux on October 9. Concerns are rising in the storm's aftermath about cholera, caused by the ingestion of contaminated water or food. Hide Caption 9 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti US soldiers unload bags of food from a helicopter in the hard-hit coastal city of Jeremie on October 9. Hide Caption 10 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti Worshippers pray at a Jeremie church destroyed by Matthew on October 9. Hide Caption 11 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti A cholera patient receives treatment at a state hospital in Jeremie on October 9. Hide Caption 12 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti Family members react during the funeral of Roberto Laguerre, 32, on Saturday, October 8, in Jeremie. Laguerre was killed when the hurricane struck. Hide Caption 13 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti Andrenne Joseph dries her clothes near the remains of her house in Jeremie on October 8. Hide Caption 14 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti Residents of Jeremie wait on the shore October 8 as a boat with water and food from the "Mission of Hope" charity arrives. Jeremie appears to be the epicenter of Haiti's growing humanitarian crisis in the wake of the storm. Hide Caption 15 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti Corn salvaged from destroyed crops dries in the sun Saturday after Hurricane Matthew swept through Jeremie. Hide Caption 16 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti People unload food and water from a "Mission of Hope" charity boat Saturday after Hurricane Matthew swept through Jeremie. Hide Caption 17 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti An aerial view of damage to the small village of Casanette near Baumond, Haiti on Saturday. The full scale of the devastation in rural Haiti is becoming clear in the days after Hurricane Matthew leveled huge swaths of the country's south. Hide Caption 18 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti Haitians gather along a flooded street in Haiti on Friday, October 7. Hide Caption 19 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti Palm trees lie flattened on the ground after high winds knocked them over. Hide Caption 20 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti Rubble lies in the street in the aftermath of the storm. Hide Caption 21 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti Residents carry a coffin containing the remains of a pregnant woman, a victim of Hurricane Matthew, in Jeremie on Friday, October 7. People across southwest Haiti were digging through the wreckage of their homes Friday, salvaging what they could of their meager possessions. Hide Caption 22 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti An aerial view shows destruction caused by Hurricane Matthew in Jeremie, Haiti, on Friday, October 7. The damage from Hurricane Matthew was especially brutal in southern Haiti, where sustained winds of 130 mph punished the country. Hide Caption 23 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti Damaged homes are shown on Friday, October 7, in Haiti, where the death toll is in the hundreds. Hide Caption 24 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti A young man stands near the cathedral damaged by Hurricane Matthew, in Jeremie, Haiti, on October 7. Hide Caption 25 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti A man dries toys recovered from the debris left by Hurricane Matthew in Les Cayes, Haiti, on Thursday, October 6. Hide Caption 26 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti A girl washes mud from her feet after Hurricane Matthew passed through Les Cayes, Haiti, on October 6. Hide Caption 27 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti Fallen trees litter the ground outside a damaged church in Les Cayes on October 6. Hundreds of people have been killed in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, officials said, with the death toll expected to rise. Hide Caption 28 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti Girls wade through a flooded street in Les Cayes on October 6. Hide Caption 29 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti Two days after the storm, authorities and aid workers in Haiti still lack a clear picture of what they fear is the country's biggest disaster in years. Hide Caption 30 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti Saint Anne Church in Les Cayes is reduced to ruins. In the wake of the storm, the Electoral Commission postponed the country's presidential election, which had been scheduled for Sunday. Hide Caption 31 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti Residents repair their homes in Les Cayes. Hide Caption 32 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti Children sit inside a damaged church in Saint-Louis on Wednesday, October 5. Hide Caption 33 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti Men push a motorbike through a flooded street in Leogane on October 5. More than 300,000 people are in shelters across the country, the United Nations said.

Hide Caption 34 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti A man carries a woman across a river at Petit Goave on October 5. A bridge collapsed because of the storm. Hide Caption 35 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti A woman cleans her flooded home following the overflowing of La Rouyonne River on October 5 in Leogane. Residents could face risks from standing water. Haiti is still recovering from a cholera outbreak after the devastating 2010 earthquake. Hide Caption 36 of 37 Photos: Hurricane Matthew pummels Haiti Nice Simon, the mayor of Tabarre, holds a baby on October 3, as she helps evacuate the area along a river. Hide Caption 37 of 37

Hurricane Matthew made landfall in Haiti on Tuesday but the details of its devastating impact are slowly coming to light.

At least 1,580 homes have been flooded in the country, and about 3,215 families have been affected by the severe storm, the country's Civil Protection Agency said.

More than 300,000 people are in shelters across the country, the United Nations said.

Aid agencies are finding that the impact has been far greater than expected.

Ariane Quentier, spokeswoman for the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti, said: "What we are realizing, as we are going further ... is that there's been a lot of devastation and a lot of damage and probably a lot more than what we had initially assessed."

This means the initial aid already sent to the country's worst-affecetd areas in the west and south have fallen short of the need. Evacuation centers are overwhelmed and communities and workers have been forces to set up more and more makeshift shelters with what resources they have.

Haitian pastor Louis St. Germain said the storm sheared a wall off his house and tore roofs off many buildings in the area.

"The river has overflowed all around us," St. Germain said. "It's terrible ... a total disaster."

#MatthewHaiti Current situation les Cayes south of Haiti pic.twitter.com/bLDCAeNOUH — MINUSTAH (@MINUSTAH) October 4, 2016

Southern Haiti was hit especially hard, where winds of 125 mph (200 kph) destroyed homes, flooded villages and cut off the island from the rest of the country.

National Route 2, which connects Port-au-Prince with Haiti's southern peninsula, broke apart when the bridge collapsed, the country's civil protection agency said.

In the wake of the storm, the Electoral Commission postponed the country's presidential election, which had been scheduled for Sunday. A new date has not been set.

JUST WATCHED Hurricane Matthew hits Haiti Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Hurricane Matthew hits Haiti 01:05

Tim Callaghan, assistance response team leader for the US Agency for International Development in Haiti, told CNN that much of the damage in Haiti's hardest hit areas -- the southwestern cities of Les Cayes and Jeremie -- appeared to be structural, and not the result of heavy rainfall.

"The urgent need we're focusing on right now is food, safe drinking water and ... things like plastic sheeting, hygiene kits and so forth," he said.

"We're in the most critical phase to support people."

Dominique Fevry-Gilliand, a spokeswoman for Oxfam Canada, said up to 80% of homes in the most affected areas were destroyed. There was also extensive damage to crops along swaths of southern Haiti.

"Most likely, in the next couple of weeks and months, one of the things they will have to deal with in that region is hunger," she said.

Haiti was only just beginning the "development" phase to rebuild infrastructure following the 2010 earthquake that destroyed much of the country, said Ines Brill, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies representative for Haiti.

"This is an emergency after an emergency, which makes things more complex than a typical disaster," she told CNN.

Bahamas: Damage still unknown

The powerful hurricane passed over the Bahamas capital, Nassau, on Thursday afternoon.

While no injuries had been reported early on Friday morning, houses had suffered flood and wind damage and a number of roads were impassable due to collapsed trees and poles.

The country's national emergency agency was telling people to stay indoors until an assessment could be made of the damage.

A video posted by Jeanette Walker (@longislandgirlbahamas) on Oct 5, 2016 at 11:11am PDT

"One of the main roadways in front of Sandals (resort) has been blocked off by debris and fallen trees," Nassau resident Denzil Sirra told CNN, adding his house had not been damaged.

"A lot of debris and fallen trees and damaged shrubs. No electricity right now. Still have running water."

Officials said the hurricane caused flooding in southern and eastern coastal communities and structural damage to a number of resorts in Nassau.

CNN meteorologists said storm surges in the Bahamas reached as high as 15 feet, along with intense rains and damaging winds.

A video posted by @virtualpet on Oct 6, 2016 at 7:02pm PDT

Cuba: Dozens of houses washed away

Hundreds of people had the roofs blown off their homes as Hurricane Matthew swept across the country, Cuban state media reported, while photos from the seaside town of Baracoa showed devastation in the severe storm's wake.

More than 30 houses were washed away by the hurricane in the northeastern Cuban town, the site where Christopher Columbus first landed in the Americas, a resident in the town said.

A woman searches amid the rubble of her home destroyed by Hurricane Matthew in Baracoa, Cuba, Wednesday, Oct. 5.

No fatalities were reported as of Thursday evening, local time, as the seafront area of the town had been evacuated ahead of Matthew's arrival.

The United Nations has offered support to Cuba in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew, in coordination with the Cuban authorities, state media reported on Thursday.

US braces for impact

Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People wade through floodwaters with a boat in Nichols, South Carolina, on Monday, October 10. Hurricane Matthew caused flooding and damage in the Southeast -- from Florida to North Carolina -- after slamming Haiti and other countries in the Caribbean. Hide Caption 1 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Workers repair downed power lines in Daytona Beach, Florida, on October 10. Hide Caption 2 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Rescue teams maneuver through floodwaters in Lumberton, North Carolina, on October 10. President Barack Obama has declared a major disaster in North Carolina and ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts. Hide Caption 3 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Floodwaters inundate a home in Lumberton on October 10. Hide Caption 4 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Floodwaters surround a house in Nichols, South Carolina, on October 10. Hide Caption 5 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley checks flooding near Nichols on October 10. Hide Caption 6 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Floodwaters surround power lines near Nichols on October 10. Hide Caption 7 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Without power in the hurricane's aftermath, Missy Zinc shines a light so her husband, Shawn, can prepare steaks to grill in Hilton Head, South Carolina, on Sunday, October 9. Hide Caption 8 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Anthony Writebol, left, and his cousin Melissa Hill paddle past a stranded tractor-trailer in Lumberton on October 9. Hide Caption 9 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A man clings to a road sign after trying to swim out to help a stranded truck driver in Hope Mills, North Carolina, on October 9. Both were rescued. Hide Caption 10 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People stop and take pictures of Highway 58, which was flooded in Nashville, North Carolina, on October 9. Hide Caption 11 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Boats are pushed up among twisted docks in Hilton Head on October 9. Hide Caption 12 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Rescue workers help several dogs that were trapped in homes in Pinetops, North Carolina, on October 9. Hide Caption 13 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A section of Wayne Memorial Drive was washed out in Goldsboro, North Carolina. Hide Caption 14 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction John Tweedy wades into the swift-moving floodwaters surrounding his business in McClellanville, South Carolina, on Saturday, October 8. Hide Caption 15 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A woman who gave her name only as Valerie walks along flooded President Street after leaving her homeless camp in Savannah, Georgia, on October 8. Hide Caption 16 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Volunteers clear debris from from a pool at a condominium complex in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, on October 8. Hide Caption 17 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A police officer steps through the remnants of a home leveled by Hurricane Matthew in the tiny beach community of Edisto Beach, South Carolina, on October 8. Hide Caption 18 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A downed tree and power lines block a road on Georgia's St. Simons Island on October 8. Hide Caption 19 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A woman fights the wind in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, on October 8. Hide Caption 20 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Parts of Highway A1A in Flagler Beach, Florida, were washed away by Hurricane Matthew on Friday, October 7. Hide Caption 21 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Water flows over a seawall and fills the streets of St. Augustine, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 22 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Barbara Hearst tapes her storm shutters as Hurricane Matthew nears Charleston, South Carolina, on October 7. Hide Caption 23 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Adam and Alec Selent watch waves crash over a retainer wall at the Ocean Club condominiums in Isle of Palms, South Carolina, on October 7. Hide Caption 24 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A damaged boat sits partially submerged on the intercoastal waterway in Melbourne, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 25 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A police officer helps persuade a woman to board a bus and evacuate Savannah, Georgia, on October 7. Hide Caption 26 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Preston Payne tries to hold his umbrella on Georgia's Tybee Island on October 7. Hide Caption 27 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Heavy waves pound boat docks in Cocoa Beach, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 28 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A women helps a dog walk through floodwaters in Port Orange, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 29 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Damage in Cocoa Beach. Hide Caption 30 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Waves crash against a bridge in St. Augustine, Florida. Hide Caption 31 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A car drives past a downed tree as the hurricane moves through Daytona Beach, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 32 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A billboard canvas flaps in the wind after Hurricane Matthew passed North Palm Beach, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 33 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A woman inspects her damaged car under a tree in Fort Pierce, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 34 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A space shuttle model stands near some downed trees after Hurricane Matthew passed by Cocoa Beach. Hide Caption 35 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A woman uses her phone under a battery-operated lantern at a hotel in Titusville, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 36 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Palm trees on Cocoa Beach sway in the wind on October 7. Hide Caption 37 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Firefighters respond to a pre-dawn house fire in Satellite Beach, Florida, that was possibly caused by a downed power line on October 7. Hide Caption 38 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Heavy rain billows in front of Exploration Tower in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on October 7. Hide Caption 39 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People stand on a beach in Broward County, Florida, as the storm approached the coast on Thursday, October 6. Hide Caption 40 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A police officer walks along the beach in Singer Island, Florida, on October 6. Hide Caption 41 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Kevin Forde and John Haughey put plywood on a Miami Beach window on October 6. Hide Caption 42 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Hurricane Matthew moves through Paradise Island in Nassau, Bahamas, on October 6. Capt. Stephen Russell, the head of the Bahamas National Emergency Management Authority, said there were many downed trees and power lines but no reports of casualties. Hide Caption 43 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People leave Disney's Magic Kingdom theme park, in heavy rain, after it closed in Orlando, Florida in preparation for the landfall of Hurricane Matthew, on October 6. Hide Caption 44 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A man rakes up debris from a storm drain as he begins cleanup near a damaged gas station in Nassau on October 6. Hide Caption 45 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Residents repair their homes in Les Cayes, Haiti, on October 6. The damage from Hurricane Matthew was especially brutal in southern Haiti, where sustained winds of 130 mph punished the country. Hide Caption 46 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Girls hold hands as they help each other wade through a flooded street in Les Cayes on October 6. Hide Caption 47 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Two days after the storm, authorities and aid workers in Haiti still lacked a clear picture of what they fear is the country's biggest disaster in years. Hide Caption 48 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A supermarket shelf is nearly cleared out in Titusville, Florida, on Wednesday, October 5. Hide Caption 49 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Bumper-to-bumper traffic lines Interstate 26 in Columbia, South Carolina, as people drive west on October 5. Hide Caption 50 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Workers start removing umbrellas and the colorful rocking chairs that line the Cocoa Beach Pier in Cocoa Beach, Florida, on October 5. Hide Caption 51 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People carry a coffin and try to cross the La Digue river on October 5 after a bridge collapsed in Petit-Goave, Haiti. Hide Caption 52 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People cross the La Digue river on October 5. Hide Caption 53 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Evacuees return to their homes in the Carbonera community of Guantanamo, Cuba, on October 5. Hide Caption 54 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People embrace at their damaged home in Baracoa, Cuba. The hurricane rolled across the sparsely populated tip of Cuba, destroying dozens of homes in the country's easternmost city and leaving hundreds of others damaged. Hide Caption 55 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A woman cries amid the rubble of her home in Baracoa. Hide Caption 56 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Bus drivers in North Charleston, South Carolina, wait for word to start evacuations. Hide Caption 57 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction The high winds of Hurricane Matthew roar over Baracoa on Tuesday, October 4. Hide Caption 58 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Beth Johnson fills up her car at a gas station in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, on October 4. Hide Caption 59 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction The mother of two girls who died in the storm is comforted near her home in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on October 4. The girls were killed when a landslide caused by flooding breached the walls of their house. Hide Caption 60 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A worker clears a sewer on a flooded street in Santo Domingo. Hide Caption 61 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Anita Baranyi feeds her baby while keeping an eye on the generator she intends to purchase from a home-improvement store in Oakland Park, Florida, on October 4. Hide Caption 62 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People wade through the flooded streets of Cite Soleil in the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince on October 4. Hurricane Matthew is the strongest storm to hit Haiti since 1964 and the first hurricane to make landfall in the country since the devastating earthquake in 2010. Hide Caption 63 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People observe the flooding of a river near Port-au-Prince on October 4. Hide Caption 64 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Children swim in a flooded neighborhood of Santo Domingo on October 4. Hide Caption 65 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A truck used as public transportation drives through flooded streets in Port-au-Prince on October 4. Hide Caption 66 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Hurricane winds blow against palm trees in Port-au-Prince. Hide Caption 67 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A food vendor lays out goods for sale during a light rain in Port-au-Prince on October 4. Hide Caption 68 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Haitian civil protection workers arrive to evacuate the Tabarre region of Haiti on October 3. Hide Caption 69 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Officials urge residents to evacuate their homes in the Grise River area of Tabarre on October 3. Hide Caption 70 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Clouds loom over the hills of the Petionville suburb of Port-au-Prince on October 3. Hide Caption 71 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Families seek shelter from Hurricane Matthew at a university facility in Guantanamo, Cuba. Hide Caption 72 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People near Kingston, Jamaica, take a photo in front of the rough surf produced by Hurricane Matthew on October 3. Hide Caption 73 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A backhoe removes garbage to clear a canal in Port-au-Prince on October 3. Hide Caption 74 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Nice Simon, the mayor of Tabarre, Haiti, holds a baby as she helps evacuate the area along a river. Hide Caption 75 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction People stock up on food at a supermarket in Port-au-Prince on Sunday, October 2. Hide Caption 76 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A worker dismantles a traffic light in Santiago before Hurricane Matthew struck Cuba. Hide Caption 77 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Motorists drive through heavy rains in Kingston, Jamaica, on October 2. Hide Caption 78 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction Residents of Cuba's Holguin Province line up to buy gas on October 2. Hide Caption 79 of 80 Photos: Hurricane Matthew's path of destruction A worker nails a board to a storefront window in Kingston on Saturday, October 1. Hide Caption 80 of 80

Officials in the United States have taken steps to prepare for the storm's arrival . Governors in four Southern states have declared states of emergency.

"I cannot emphasize enough that everyone in our state must prepare now for a direct hit," Florida Gov. Rick Scott said. "Having a plan in place could mean the difference between life and death."