Battle to reach worst-hit parts of Haiti by Hurricane Matthew as Florida braces for storm's arrival

Parts of southern Haiti have suffered severe flooding (AFP)

Rescue workers in Haiti are attempting to reach parts of the nation cut off by the most powerful Caribbean typhoon in almost 10 years. 

The decimation created by Tropical storm Matthew has forced Haiti's presidential race this weekend to be put off, authorities say. 

Thousands have been dislodged and no less than 10 people have died.

The US states of Florida and South Carolina are bracing for the storm, which is nearing the Bahamas.

All air and sea traffic has been ended on the islands and people have been asked to move to higher ground. 

Matthew is right now a Category Three storm, but is expected to strengthen to Category Four as it hits the US coast, the US National Hurricane Center said.

It battered a remote range of Haiti - one of the world's poorest nations, with numerous occupants living in wobbly housing in flood-prone areas - with winds of up to 230km/h (145mph) on Tuesday.

Officials said they were not yet in a position to gauge the true extent of the damage - particularly in the Grand Anse area on the southern tip of the island, which was directly in the storm's path.

A key bridge has been destroyed, roads are impassable and phone communications are down, officials said

Mourad Wahba, the UN special representative for Haiti, said at least 10,000 people were in shelters and hospitals were overflowing.

"What we know is that many, many houses have been damaged," Interior Minister Francois Anick Joseph said. "Some lost rooftops and they'll have to be replaced, while others were totally destroyed."

Among the damaged buildings were schools and churches due to be used as polling stations in Haiti's election. A new date for the much-delayed vote has not yet been announced.

Flight from Florida 

No less than 16 individuals are believed to have been killed by Typhoon Matthew so far, including four killed by collapsing walls and mudslides in the Dominican Republic.

Residents in Florida are preparing for the storm's predicted arrival (Getty Image)

In Cuba, many homes in the eastern city of Baracoa were demolished. 

In the US, President Barack Obama cautioned that the coming days would be unsafe and asked Americans to heed official advice.

Florida Governor Rick Scott said his state could be facing its biggest evacuation ever.

South Carolina's Governor Nikki Haley said 250,000 people would be evacuated from coastal areas.

Matthew is the region's most powerful hurricane since Felix in 2007.

Hurricane scales

Category one: sustained winds of 74-95mph (119-153 km/h); some damage and power cuts

Category two: winds of 96-110mph (154-177 km/h); extensive damage

Category three: winds of 111-129mph (178-208 km/h); well-built homes suffer major damage

Category four: winds of 130-156mph (209-251 km/h); severe damage to well-built homes, most trees snapped or uprooted

Category five: winds of 157 mph (252 km/h) or higher; high percentage of homes destroyed, area uninhabitable for weeks or months

Scales Source: NOAA