Hurricane Matthew kills at least 14 in the US

Cholera continued to spread throughout devastated parts of Haiti as officials estimated at least 1,000 people were killed by Hurricane Matthew.

In some parts of the country, cases of the waterborne disease have risen dramatically since last Tuesday's storm - with numbers expected to rise.

Officials have cited the immediate death toll from Matthew, a Category 4 hurricane which mainly hit west Haiti, as standing at at least 1,000.

More than 1.3 million people were affected by the storm while over 60,000 were forced to evacuate.

An estimated 750,000 people are now in need of assistance, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Thousands of people have been rescued from their homes and cars as up to 18 inches of rain caused severe flooding in North Carolina.

As the storm made its exit to the sea, the death toll in the US climbed to at least 14, half of them in North Carolina.

"As the sun rises in North Carolina and the blue sky returns, our state is facing major destruction and, sadly, loss of life," governor Pat McCrory said as the effects of Saturday's deluge became clearer.

However, the full scale of the disaster is not yet known as many places have not been reached by rescue teams and four people remain missing in the Fayetteville area of the state.

Weather forecasters said North Carolina and Virginia could get even more rain and warned of the danger of life-threatening flooding through Monday night.

Shortly before daybreak on Sunday the storm was stripped of its hurricane status and downgraded to a post-tropical cyclone.

Hurricane Matthew has been downgraded to a Category 1 hurricane.

In an advisory the US National Hurricane Centre said Matthew had maximum sustaining winds of 85mph as it headed towards South Carolina.

President Barack Obama has declared a state of emergency in the state of North Carolina as it braces for Hurricane Matthew to make landfall.

Officials are warning that the biggest risk could be from storm surges, as high winds on the coastline whip up huge waves.

A state of emergency has also been declared in Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia.

The hurricane skated the edge of Florida, causing less damage than feared as they eye of the storm stayed off the coast, but is now heading northwards.

Britain will give up to £5 million of initial aid to the victims of Hurricane Matthew in Haiti, including temporary shelters, water purification kits and solar lights, to battle the heightened risk of epidemics such as cholera.

The aid will target 12,500 of the most vulnerable people as experts from the Department for International Development (DfID) continue to help UN and NGO partners address the impoverished Caribbean nation's most pressing needs.

International development secretary Priti Patel said Britain would "play its part" by providing expertise and support to help those caught up in the aftermath of the "worst storm to hit this region in almost a decade".

"The absolute priority right now is to reach those who are injured and provide them with water, sanitation, shelter and protection," Ms Patel said.

• Fresh disease fears in Haiti as hurricane strikes US coast

• Video report by ITV News Correspondent Martin Geissler in Florida

NASA pictures have captured the devastating power of Hurricane Matthew as the deadly winds continued to wreak damage along the US east coast after claiming more than 800 lives in Haiti.

While a host of American states brace themselves for impact, active dangers remain from the trail of devastation across the Caribbean nation.

With water supplies depleted there has emerged the fresh fear of a cholera epidemic among tens of thousands left homeless.

As millions of Americans prepared for Hurricane Matthew to hit Florida, the owners of a zoological park were also left facing the question of what to do with their charges.

Their answer - pop the storks into the toilets and make sure the poisonous snakes are at least double-boxed.

Keepers at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park in northeast Florida shared a picture on Facebook of a confused-looking stork preparing to wait out the storm in their visitors' toilets yesterday as they documented their work.

"Two days of hurricane prep is now over!", they wrote.

"Every bird and mammal is housed safely indoors, all venomous snakes are double contained (at least), tortoises and wee crocs are in various tubs and the storks are hanging out in the public restrooms!

"We love our animals and staff. Take care everyone and be careful."

At least 842 people have been killed by Hurricane Matthew in Haiti, local officials said, as the death toll continues to climb.

Recovery efforts are still underway in the Caribbean island state, where entire villages were crushed by winds and storm surges.

The hurricane is now hitting the Florida coast, where around two million people have been told to evacuate.

Thousands of residents in Florida have been spared the worst of hurricane Matthew as the storm's centre hovered just offshore.

Nearly 600,000 homes and business were left without power as high winds of up to 107 mph thrashed the area around Daytona beach, whipping up storm surges, toppling trees and ripping off roofs.

However many of the most populous areas were spared as the storm swerved away from shore, avoiding many of the state's most heavily-populated areas.

President Obama said the new areas of concern are now Jacksonville in northern Florida and the neighbouring state of Georgia as Hurricane Matthew moves north.

Florida governor Rick Scott has also reiterated warnings to thousands of residents ordered to evacuate, saying: "Remember, it could be the worst of it is yet to come."