Death toll in Hurricane Matthew jumps to 113

  Hurricane Matthew pounded the Bahamas Thursday after leaving behind a humanitarian crisis in Haiti.

The storm killed at least 113 people in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, officials said.Hurricane Matthew took aim at the Bahamas on Thursday after leaving behind a humanitarian crisis in Haiti.

At least 28 people died from Matthew's wrath in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, officials said.

Haiti, still recovering from the catastrophic 2010 earthquake, was hit the hardest. As the death toll rises and crucial infrastructure crumbles, thousands have been displaced. Mourad Wahba, the UN secretary-general's deputy special representative for Haiti, described Matthew as the "largest humanitarian event" since the earthquake.

The devastation was especially brutal in southern Haiti, where winds of 125 mph (200 kph) destroyed homes, flooded villages and cut off the island from the rest of the country.
National Route 2, which connects Port-au-Prince with Haiti's southern peninsula, broke apart when the bridge collapsed, the country's civil protection agency said. In the wake of the storm, the Electoral Commission postponed the country's Presidential election, which had been scheduled for Sunday. A new date has not been set.
Emergency responders can't get to devastated parts of southern Haiti after a key bridge collapsed.
'Violently unpredictable'
As of Thursday morning, Matthew hurled 125 mph (205 kph) winds as it churned toward the Bahamas, the National Hurricane Center said.
The storm was about 30 miles southeast of Nassau and was moving northwest at 12 mph.
Farther south, on the outer island of Long Island, residents began to feel Matthew's presence.
Jeanette Walker said she lost power around noon as winds whipped palm trees and angry waves crashed on the beach, shaking her home.


CNN meteorologists expect storm surges in the Bahamas as high as 15 feet, along with intense rains and damaging winds.
Prime Minister Perry Christie warned that Matthew had the potential to be "violently unpredictable."
The Bahamas could get hit with up to 15 inches of rain and "life-threatening" surf conditions, the hurricane center said.

Resident Bruce Darville said he prepared for Matthew's arrival by collecting water, nonperishable foods and other essentials.
"We've got a generator, so we make sure that's all fueled up, make sure your vehicle's fueled up. And we leave the rest to the good master."