At least 108 dead in Haiti from Hurricane Matthew

The storm is now heading towards the US

Vendors sell their goods on the street while Hurricane Matthew approaches in Port-au-Prince, Haiti (Reuters)

At least 108 people have died in Haiti after Hurricane Matthew swept through the Caribbean country.

Officials are estimating that the death toll will rise.

"The situation is catastrophic," President Jocelerme Privert told The Miami Herald. "The situation is critical."

Severe weather is expected to reach the east coast of the US, and could be the most devastating storm the area has seen for a decade.

The governors of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina have all declared states of emergency and are urging residents to evacuate areas that may be at risk.

Florida governor Rick Scott stressed that following the emergency guidelines along the coast could mean life or death.

"Do not surf. Do not go on the beach. This will kill you," he said Thursday. "There is no reason not to leave… My goal is to make sure everyone is prepared. Evacuate, evacuate, evacuate."

In Cuba, many structures and buildings have been destroyed by the tropical storm.