CARE USA official says mass devastation across hurricane ravaged Haiti

ATLANTA — Hurricane Matthew has already caused serious damage in Haiti.%

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A Haitian Interior Ministry official says hurricane's death toll now stands at 283 and thousands of homes were destroyed.

Channel 2’s Craig Lucie spoke with a woman Port au Prince with an Atlanta-based relief organizations.

Laura Sewell of CARE USA told Lucie that in some areas of Haiti, 80 percent of the buildings are gone.

Phone lines and electricity are down. Homes are gone.

"Things look pretty bad. Over 4,000 are in shelters, 230 houses are destroyed and schools are destroyed,” Sewell told Lucie via Skype Thursday.

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Sewell said in an area of Haiti called Jeremie, there is complete destruction.

“I'm hearing basically the river is overflowing water. The ocean houses are flattened and areas are gone,” Sewell said about the destruction.

Hurricane Matthew blew through the passage near Jeremie, Haiti and Cuba. There are 16 CARE staff members there and another major concern is another cholera outbreak such as what Haiti experienced in 2010, which killed thousands.

CARE said they've already had three cases of cholera in a hospital in Haiti. They say more than 15,000 cases in various shelters.

CARE said they need donations for food and tablets to purify water.

Cox Media Group