(BBC) One of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent years has hit Haiti, bringing 145mph (230km/h) winds, heavy rain and dangerous storm surges.
Hurricane Matthew, a Category Four storm, made landfall at the south-western tip at about 11:00 GMT.
The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Haiti was “getting everything a major hurricane can throw at them”.
Reports from the southern coast spoke of communities under water and buildings stripped of roofs.
Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste, director of the country’s Civil Protection Agency, told Associated Press: “It’s much too early to know how bad things are but we do know there are a lot of houses that have been destroyed or damaged in the south.”
One resident too ill to leave their home was killed when waves struck in the town of Port Salut.
Haiti’s Interim President Jocelerme Privert said earlier that some people at sea or who had not “respected alerts” had died, but he gave no figures.
Haiti is one of the world’s poorest countries and many of its residents live in wooden or corrugated steel shacks in areas prone to flooding. Matthew is expected to bring up to 40in (102cm) of rain to some parts as it moves north at about 15km/h.
Social media footage from the southern coastal town of Les Cayes showed palm trees being bent sideways and buildings with roofs sheared off buildings.
American journalist Jacqueline Charles told the BBC from the capital, Port-au-Prince, that reports from Les Cayes spoke of people walking in water shoulder high, with relief workers saying that other coastal communities were also under water.
Fonie Pierre, director of Catholic Relief Services for Les Cayes, told AP: “Many people are now asking for help, but it’s too late because there is no way to go evacuate them.”
The mayor of Les Cayes, Jean Gabriel Fortune, posted tweets that included video showing damage in the Vernet area.
A major road was swamped in Les Anglais, while the mayor of Tiburon, Remiza Denize, spoke of large waves hitting the town.
“Everyone is trying to find a safe place to protect themselves, the situation is very difficult.”
Haitian officials say that about 1,300 emergency shelters have been built, enough to accommodate 340,000 people. Both airports in Haiti are closed.
An NHC statement said: “On the forecast track, the eye of Matthew will move near eastern Cuba later [on Tuesday], and move near or over portions of the south-eastern and central Bahamas [on Tuesday night] and Wednesday, and approach the north-western Bahamas on Wednesday night.”
About 13,000 people were evacuated from high-risk areas in neighbouring Dominican Republic, which is also expected to get battered by rains and winds, according to the country’s civil defence chief.
Heavy rain and winds have already hit parts of Jamaica, with floodwaters blocking roads in the capital Kingston.
A hurricane alert is in place for six eastern Cuban provinces and residents are being moved from low-lying areas.
