Matthew’s death toll rises in Haiti, Florida so far spared the worst

The death toll from Hurricane Matthew in Haiti has risen to 300 and is expected to climb, officials said. Rescue workers making their way through southwest Haiti said they found demolished homes, destroyed crops, and dead bodies that surfaced as the water receded. “There are still places we haven’t reached,” said Saint-Victor Jeune with the Civil Protection agency. The hurricane, now a Category 3, has moved north, where it is sideswiping the Atlantic coast of Florida but has not yet made a direct hit. Floridians are coping with power outages and high winds, but the storm is sparing them from the catastrophic damage they feared. Florida Gov. Rick Scott warned residents to continue to take caution because the storm could still come inland: “This is not over. … It could be the worst part of this is yet to come.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.