Quebecers in Florida brace for Hurricane Matthew

Quebecers in Florida are preparing for possible devastation as Hurricane Matthew approaches the coast.

The hurricane'sdeath toll across the Caribbean is in the hundreds, with Haiti being the worst hit.

As the stormstarts to wallopthe United States, Florida Governor Rick Scott said the damage could be catastrophic.

• Hurricane Matthew leaves at least 108 dead in Haiti
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• Hurricane aims for U.S. East Coast, gaining strength

Louis St-Laurent, a Quebecer living in Coral Springs, said he's staying put and bracingfor the storm.

St-Laurent, the owner and publisher of the French-languageLe Soleil de la Floridenewspaper, said people are stocking up on necessities and boarding upwindows.

No one is ready for Category 4.- Louis St-Laurent, who lives in Coral Springs, Fla.

"The people here are sort of in a panic mode," St-Laurent told CBC Montreal's Daybreak.

St-Laurentsaid the projections of the hurricane are so unclear that it is hard to tell what will happen.

"We're ready, as ready as we can be,but no one is ready for Category 4."

TarynKolodny, a Montrealer who had beenvacationing with friends inPompano Beach,said sheopted to head to a friend's house in Hollywood, Fla., 30 kilometres south.

"We decided for safety, it was probably best to go," she told CBC Montreal's Debra Arbec.

• Meteorologists predict 4 to 8 Atlantic hurricanes this year

Kolodnysaid she is scared,but she'shoping it will turn into a smaller storm than expected.

"Everybody seems to be battening down the hatches."

Flights cancelled

Flights to and from Montreal from destinations in Florida are already being cancelled.

American Airlines has cancelled its Thursday evening flight from Miami to Montreal, as well as Friday morning's Montrealto Miami flight,and Air Canada announced it will not fly to Orlando.

Air Transathas askedtravellersflying from Montreal to Port-au-Prince, the capital ofHaiti, to arrive well in advance. The airline has also issuedits hurricane policy for flights to Florida, which allowspassengers to change dates or destinationsor receive a credit for their flight.