Haitian Montrealers watch anxiously as Caribbean island hammered by hurricane

Montreal's Haitian community is anxiously watching asHurricane Matthew poundsthe southwestern coast of the Caribbean island.

"Everybody is very concerned,"saidMarjorieVillefranche, director general of theMaisond'Haiti, a community centre in Montreal.

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The Category 4 storm threateneda largely rural corner of the impoverished country Tuesdaywith devastating storm conditionsas it headed north toward Cuba and the eastern coast of Florida.

It was also dumpingheavy rains on other parts of Haiti, the hemisphere's poorest country where many people live in flimsy shacks in areas prone to flooding, according to theU.S. NationalHurricane Center in Miami.

Heavy rain also fell on Jamaica and dangerous rainfall levels were a threat for the Dominican Republic, which adjoins Haiti.

Villefranche said the eye of the storm is hitting an agriculturalregionthat produces a significant amount of food for the country.

Pierre Emmanuel, head of CPAM, a Haitian radio station in Montreal, said he has been conducting special broadcasts on the storm.

He said high rains and heavy winds have already made it difficult to get in touch with people in the affected areas.