BRIT TOURISTS FLEE FROM HURRICANE MATTHEW
Terror as big storm hits
BRITISH tourists were last night bracing themselves for the fiercest storm to hit the Caribbean in 10 years.
Hurricane Matthew is expected to strike Jamaica, Cuba, the Bahamas and Florida in the coming days.
Ferocious 145mph winds have already killed at least seven people and damaged thousands of homes in Haiti.
The full extent of the devastation in the country is not yet known but it is feared many more people have lost their lives.
Colorado State University meteorologist Phil Klotzbach warned: “You could see a death toll in the thousands.” Emergency ® shelters on Haiti were ready for more than 340,000 people but some refused to leave their homes, fearing their possessions would be stolen.
One man, who lives in a shack in capital Port-au-Prince, said: “If we lose our things we are not going to get them back.”
The hurricane is forecast to dump as much as 40in of rain, raising fears of mudslides and floods, as it moves on to Jamaica, Cuba and the Bahamas today.
At least four people died and 13,000 were evacuated as the storm battered the Dominican Republic, . Florida Governor Rick Scott declared an emergency, saying: “If Matthew directly impacts Florida, there will be massive destruction.”
The Foreign Office advised against all but essential travel in Haiti due to the risk of crime.
The warning added: “Hurricane Matthew is forecast to bring hazardous sea and weather conditions to parts of the east coast of the US, including Florida, from around October 6.”