Hurricane Matthew made landfall in Haiti on Tuesday, a massive storm that grew slightly stronger as forecasters nudged its predicted path closer to Florida, the National Hurricane Center in Miami reported.

The Category 4 hurricane headed toward Haiti with top sustained winds near 145 mph, up from 140 mph earlier, the hurricane center said. It was moving northward and made landfall on the southwest peninsula of Haiti. Life-threatening rain and storm surge was expected in parts of Haiti, the National Hurricane Center said.

A hurricane warning remains in effect for all of Jamaica, all of Haiti and portions of Cuba and the Bahamas. The U.S. coast could become a target later in the week.

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory declared a state of emergency for central and eastern parts of the state.

"The threat to Florida and the southeastern U.S. coast has increased," the hurricane center said. "Tropical storm or hurricane conditions could affect portions of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina later this week or this weekend, even if the center of Matthew remains offshore."

It is too soon to specify Matthew's impact on the remainder of the U.S. east coast farther north, the hurricane center said. At a minimum, "very dangerous beach and boating conditions are likely along much of the U.S. east coast" later this week and weekend.

Forecasters offered basically two very different scenarios for Matthew after it decimates the Caribbean: Either a direct hit, anywhere from Florida to Maine, or a miss, with the storm sliding up the coast but never making landfall. Which scenario plays out depends on the path the storm takes.

Hurricane Matthew storms onward
The hurricane is expected to weaken slightly over the course of the week. At the very least, Matthew could cause significant beach erosion along the Atlantic coast, as well as dangerous conditions for surfers and small crafts, according to Accuweather.

The death toll rose to three Monday when the body of a fisherman was found in rough waters off the south coast of Haiti, the Associated Press reported, citing the civil protection agency. One man died Friday in Colombia, and a 16-year-old in St. Vincent and the Grenadines was killed Sept. 28 when the system passed through the eastern Caribbean.