(CNN) A ferocious hurricane packing 145-mph winds is prompting hundreds of Guantanamo Bay employees to evacuate and threatens to wreak havoc on Haiti and Jamaica. 
 
 Hurricane Matthew is expected to dump torrential rainfall on Jamaica and Haiti on Sunday evening before making landfall Monday. 
 
 "This rainfall will produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides," the National Weather Service said Sunday. "Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion." 
 
 Many Jamaicans, however, believe they can ride out the storm, putting their trust in a higher power, despite pleas from authorities to leave the threatened coast. 
 
 "I'm not afraid, I'm not going," a woman in Port Royal said. "I know if God wants it to happen, it will happen." 
 
 This image shows a forecast track for Hurricane Matthew, with the storm's eye predicted to be somewhere within the shaded cone on the days indicated. 
 
 "Water systems are at risk as hurricane #Matthew's approaching," physician and researcher Keddy Moise tweeted. "Months of work fighting cholera could be lost." 
 
 Water systems are at risk as hurricane #Matthew's approaching. Months of work fighting cholera could be lost. #Haiti — Keddy Moise (@slimkeddy) October 1, 2016 
 
 The storm could also be brutal for Cuba, where many houses appear too weak to withstand a hurricane, CNN's Patrick Oppmann said Sunday. 
 
 "Just driving through Santiago today, I was struck by the number of people living in housing that looks like it's hundreds of years old," Oppmann said. "Wooden roofs, very old housing that looks like it could blow away in a heavy rainstorm -- not to mention a Category 4 storm." 
 
 In Santiago de Cuba, the island's second largest city, olive-green military trucks and an armored personnel carrier raced around to finish preparations. Santiagueros know about hurricanes. In 2012, Hurricane Sandy ripped through the city downing trees, power lines and killing 11 people in the city and surrounding provinces. 
 
 Residents of the city spent much of Sunday securing their roofs, gassing up their cars and mopeds and collecting cash sent by relatives in South Florida via Western Union. Others began to evacuate from low-lying coastal areas, going to government shelters. 
 
 Things also might be tricky on higher ground. Officials warned inhabitants of the Sierra Maestra mountains, where Fidel Castro based his camp during the Cuban revolution, of possible mudslides from heavy rainfall. 
 
 A man who identified himself only as Orlando said he rents his newly restored three-bedroom home out to foreigners. He fretted the storm would damage his investment. 
 
 But he was sure that he, his wife and daughter would escape Matthew's wrath. 
 
 "We have endured a lot of hurricanes here," he said. "We will endure this one." 
 
 As for the United States, "it is too early to determine if Matthew will directly impact the US," the National Weather Service said Sunday. "But this dangerous storm will be closely monitored." 
 
 Guantanamo Bay employees evacuated 
 
 JUST WATCHED Hurricane Matthew threatens Jamaica, Cuba Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Hurricane Matthew threatens Jamaica, Cuba 01:52 
 
 The United States is moving 700 employees and their families from its naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Sunday. Military planes were to airlift people from the base to cities in Florida. Family pets will join the mandatory evacuations, base officials said. 
 
 Those getting evacuated are mostly nonessential personnel. There are no plans to evacuate the 61 prisoners detained at the facility that holds terror suspects. 
 
 "Remaining personnel and their families will be taking shelter in their homes or designated locations," base officials said. 
 
 It's unclear when the evacuees will be brought back, officials said. 
 
 Epic rainfall, brutal strength 
 
 In the next few days, Matthew is expected to dump 15 to 25 inches of rain on southern Haiti, with as much as 40 inches in some areas, the National Weather service said. 
 
 Eastern Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and eastern Cuba will get pummeled with as much as 25 inches in some areas. 
 
 After hitting Jamaica and Haiti, Matthew could slam Cuba, the Bahamas and South Florida later this week, forecasters said. 
 
 Although weather models show the outskirts of Matthew just scraping the southern part of Florida, Rick Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, urged Floridians to prepare and buy supplies. 
 
 Matthew briefly strengthened Friday night into a Category 5 storm, becoming the strongest hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean since Felix in 2007. But it is now a Category 4 storm, meaning it carries winds between 130 and 156 mph (209 to 251 kph). 
 
 "Some fluctuations in intensity are possible this weekend, but Matthew is expected to remain a powerful hurricane through Monday," the National Hurricane Center said. 
 
 Bracing for a monstrous storm 
 
 JUST WATCHED Jamaica prepares for Hurricane Matthew Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH Jamaica prepares for Hurricane Matthew 02:50 
 
 In Jamaica, storm shelters opened as the nation braced for its first major hurricane since Gilbert in 1988. 
 
 Marcia Forbes, a business owner in Kingston, told CNN she was preparing for a rough couple of days. 
 
 She waited in line to fill her car with gasoline, brought in her potted plants and filled her bathtub with water in case service gets interrupted during the storm. She also placed sandbags against the shutters of her multimedia company and covered her office computers with plastic. 
 
 "Having lived through Hurricane Gilbert in 1988, I know what a Category 3 hurricane can do, (much) less a Category 4 or 5," she told CNN. 
 
 "Everyone in my community is taking this hurricane seriously and getting their homes shuttered up." 
 
 Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness told journalists that while the hurricane posed a great risk to lives and property that it could also blow the economy off course, The Gleaner, a Jamaican newspaper, reported. 
 
 "The biggest concern is the impact on the economy. ... This weather event could derail our economic program," the newspaper quoted Holness as saying Saturday while touring areas that could be most affected by Matthew. "We are ensuring that all government agencies understand that they have a role in the speedy recovery. That speedy recovery will ensure that our economy does not suffer unnecessarily." 
 
 "Of course, on a local level, community level, we expect that we will see significant damage to property and dislocation and human suffering that will come from such an event if we do not prepare. It could be significant." 
 
 Many people, however, didn't plan to evacuate. Several women in Port Royal, a fishing village outside Kingston, said their families would hunker down in St. Peter's, the local church. 
 
 A woman told CNN she believed the shelters are unsafe. 
 
 "We're just going to get some rain and breeze," said the woman, who gave her name as Josephine. "We can ride it out in the church." 
 
 Another Port Royal woman, who also planned to shelter in the church, said the government always warned people to leave. She said her house only lost its roof in Hurricane Ivan, a 2004 Category 5 storm that passed near Jamaica, killing at least 14 people and leaving thousands homeless. 
 
 The woman acknowledged some fear, but she had weathered Ivan. "You know, I trust in God," she said. 
 
 Canceled flights 
 
 JUST WATCHED How to prepare for a hurricane Replay More Videos ... MUST WATCH How to prepare for a hurricane 01:00 
 
 IBC Airways has canceled all flights Monday to and from Guantanamo Bay because of the approaching storm. 
 
 American Airlines, Delta Air Lines , JetBlue, Spirit Airlines and Fly Jamaica Airways issued travel warnings for their customers, saying change fees may be waived for flights to some destinations. 
 
 The US State Department issued a travel warning Sunday, urging citizens in Haiti to leave quickly if they can. 
 
 "Given the approaching hurricane, there is limited time available for a safe departure," the State Department said. 
 
 "We recommend US citizens depart Haiti if possible and work with commercial air carriers to leave prior to the arrival of the hurricane. Airports will close once conditions deteriorate and safe travel is not possible. " ||||| CLOSE One of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent history weakened a little on Saturday as it roared across the Caribbean on a course that put Jamaica, Haiti and Cuba in the path of potentially devastating winds and rain. Time 
 
 A satellite image shows Hurricane Matthew (lower right) spinning in the Caribbean Sea on Sunday, October 2, 2016. (Photo: NASA) 
 
 Hurricane Matthew smashed its way through the Caribbean and roared toward Haiti, Jamaica and Cuba on Sunday, a Category 4 storm powered by 145-mph winds that could pose a threat to the United States by week's end. 
 
 Matthew briefly reached maximum Category 5 status Friday, making it the strongest Atlantic hurricane in almost a decade. Late Sunday, the storm was located about 265 miles south-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, and was crawling west at 3 mph. 
 
 The latest National Hurricane Center projection had Matthew reaching the southwestern tip of Haiti late Monday, but tropical storm conditions could reach Jamaica and Haiti as soon as late Sunday and eastern Cuba early Monday. The storm was expected to remain a powerful and dangerous hurricane into Tuesday, forecasters said. 
 
 "Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion," the hurricane center warned on its Facebook page. 
 
 Matthew could dump up to 25 inches of rain over much of southern Haiti, with "isolated maximum amounts of 40 inches," the hurricane center warned. Eastern Jamaica, the Dominican Republic and eastern Cuba could see 10 to 20 inches of rain with 25 inches in isolated areas. In addition, storm surges in the region could cause catastrophic flooding. 
 
 Although the official forecast on Sunday showed a track east of Florida, the hurricane center said it was still too soon to rule out possible possible hurricane impacts there — or how Matthew might affect the remainder of the U.S. east coast. 
 
 In Haiti, families were being urged to stock up on food and water, and evacuations were underway in high-risk areas. The Haitian Civil Protection Agency said it had 576 temporary shelters available that can accommodate up to 88,252 people for at least 3 days. 
 
 "This could be catastrophic for some places, particularly Haiti," National Hurricane Center meteorologist Dennis Feltgen told USA TODAY. "This is an area where trees just don't exist (due to deforestation). The terrain is stripped, and the threat of major flash floods and mudslides is very real." 
 
 Hurricane warnings were in effect for the north coast of Haiti, Jamaica and eastern Cuba. Watches were issued for the Turks and Caicos and southeastern Bahamas and parts of Cuba. 
 
 In Jamaica, Prime Minister Andrew Holness told Reuters his nation was braced for the storm, which could be the most severe for his nation since Gilbert killed more than 40 Jamaicans and dumped more than 30 inches of rain in some areas in 1988. 
 
 "The impact of the hurricane will probably be similar or greater than Hurricane Gilbert, but our preparedness would be far better," Holness said. 
 
 Long lines formed at stores and gas stations as Jamaicans prepared for the worst. 
 
 "This is not a joking matter," Desmond McKenzie, minister of local government and community development, told Agence France-Presse. "There is no room for any mischief to be made as we face one of the most severe natural disasters in quite a long while." 
 
 Matthew was expected to reach Cuba on Tuesday, potentially making a direct hit on the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, base spokeswoman Julie Ann Ripley told the Associated Press. She said mandatory evacuation of non-essential personnel was underway, including about 700 family members of military personnel. About 5,500 people living on the base, including 61 men held at the detention center. 
 
 Feltgen said the storm, which at its peak was the strongest in the Atlantic Basin since Felix in 2007, could approach south Florida as soon as Wednesday. But he said it was too early to determine what the U.S. impact will be. 
 
 "The good news is that we have plenty of time to watch this, the bad news is we don't know yet what we (the U.S.) will be dealing with," Feltgen said. "So we need to have everyone on alert." 
 
 Pilot's radar display right before passing through the eye of Cat 4 #HurricaneMatthew at 7,000ft. pic.twitter.com/JDl6IICbuz — NOAAHurricaneHunters (@NOAA_HurrHunter) October 2, 2016 
 
 Contributing: Greg Toppo, USA TODAY 
 
 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2dQBmBn ||||| Fishermen move their boats out of the water before the arrival of Hurricane Matthew in Arcahaie, Haiti. Sunday Oct. 2, 2016. A powerful Hurricane Matthew moved slowly Sunday across the Caribbean Sea on... (Associated Press) 
 
 Fishermen move their boats out of the water before the arrival of Hurricane Matthew in Arcahaie, Haiti. Sunday Oct. 2, 2016. A powerful Hurricane Matthew moved slowly Sunday across the Caribbean Sea on a track that authorities warned could trigger devastation in parts of Haiti. ( AP Photo/Dieu Nalio... (Associated Press) 
 
 PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Vulnerable Haiti braced for flash floods and violent winds from the extremely dangerous Hurricane Matthew as the powerful storm kept on a path early Monday aiming at the hemisphere's poorest country. 
 
 The eye of the approaching Category 4 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kph) early Monday, was expected to pass to the east of Jamaica and then cross over or be very close to the southwestern tip of Haiti late Monday or early Tuesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said. It was predicted to hit the lightly populated eastern tip of Cuba on Tuesday afternoon. 
 
 Forecasters said as much as 40 inches of rain could fall on some isolated areas of Haiti, raising fears of deadly mudslides and floods in the heavily deforested country where many families live in flimsy houses with corrugated metal roofs. 
 
 "Some of us will die but I pray it won't be a lot," said Serge Barionette in the southern town of Gressier, where a river recurrently bursts its banks during serious storms. 
 
 A hurricane warning was in effect for Haiti, Jamaica and parts of Cuba. Rain was already lashing parts of Jamaica and flooding some homes, but forecasters said the southern Haitian countryside around Jeremie and Les Cayes could see the worst of the rains and punishing winds. 
 
 "Wherever that center passes close to would see the worst winds and that's what's projected to happen for the western tip of Haiti," said John Cangilosi, a hurricane specialist at the U.S. center. "There is a big concern for rains there and also a big concern for storm surge." 
 
 Matthew is one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recent history and briefly reached the top classification, Category 5, becoming the strongest hurricane in the region since Felix in 2007. The hurricane center said the storm appeared to be on track to pass east of Florida through the Bahamas, but it was too soon to predict with certainty whether it would threaten any spot on the U.S. East Coast. 
 
 Officials with Haiti's civil protection agency said there were roughly 1,300 emergency shelters across the country, enough to hold up to 340,000 people. Authorities broadcast warnings over the radio telling people to swiftly heed evacuation warnings, trying to counter a common tendency for people to try to stay in their homes to protect them during natural disasters. 
 
 In a brief address carried on state radio, interim President Jocelerme Privert urged Haitians to listen closely to official warnings and be ready to move. "To those people living in houses that could collapse, it's necessary that you leave these houses to take refuge in schools and churches," he said. 
 
 Teams of civil protection officials walked the streets of Les Cayes and other areas urging residents to secure their homes, prepare emergency kits and warn their neighbors. They also evacuated people from some outlying islands. 
 
 As of 2 a.m. EDT (0600 GMT), the storm was centered about 310 miles (500 kilometers) southwest of Haiti's capital of Port-au-Prince. It was moving north at 5 mph (7 kph). 
 
 A hurricane warning was posted for the southeastern Bahamas. A hurricane watch was in effect for the Cuban province of Camaguey, the central Bahamas and the Turks and Caico Islands, and a tropical storm warning was issued for parts of the Dominican Republic, where authorities began mandatory evacuations of areas at risk for flooding. A tropical storm watch was in effect for parts of the Dominican Republic. 
 
 The hurricane earlier had been projected to be closer to Jamaica, but still was a danger to the island of less than 3 million inhabitants. 
 
 "The center of the system is looking more likely that it will pass to the east of Jamaica but it won't miss it by that much, so they are still going to see impacts," Cangilosi said. "The impacts are maybe going to be a little lower there than they would be in Haiti and eastern Cuba." 
 
 After passing Jamaica and Haiti, Matthew was projected to reach Cuba. The center was expected to pass about 50 miles east of the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, where authorities evacuated about 700 spouses and children of service members on military transport planes to Florida. 
 
 The U.S. installation has a population of about 5,500, including 61 men held at the detention center for terrorism suspects. Navy Capt. David Culpepper, the base commander, said emergency shelters had been set up and authorities were bracing for 80 mph winds and storm surge and heavy rain that could threaten some low-lying areas, including around the power plant and water desalination facility. 
 
 "We have no choice but to prepare ourselves for to take a frontal assault if you will," Culpepper said. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Associated Press writers Ben Fox in Miami, Evens Sanon in Haiti and Ramon Espinosa in Santiago, Cuba, contributed to this report.
– Hurricane Matthew became the strongest Atlantic hurricane since 2007's Felix when it briefly became a Category 5 storm Friday—and it is nowhere near finished yet. The storm, now a Category 4, is dumping torrential rain on Jamaica and parts of Cuba and could do its worst damage when it lashes Haiti on Monday evening, the AP reports. CNN reports that as the storm approached, the US evacuated 700 workers and their families from its Guantanamo Bay base to Florida, though essential personnel—and the 61 terror suspects still being held at the Cuba facility—are staying put. The storm is packing winds of more than 130mph and could dump up to 40 inches of rain on parts of Haiti. "This could be catastrophic for some places, particularly Haiti," National Hurricane Center meteorologist Dennis Feltgen tells USA Today. "This is an area where trees just don't exist" due to deforestation, he says. "The terrain is stripped, and the threat of major flash floods and mudslides is very real." The center says that according to the latest forecasts, Matthew will pass to the east of Florida, but it is still too early to say for sure whether it will threaten the state—or hit areas further up the East Coast.