Michael Misick tells The Associated Press by phone that Grand Turk took almost a direct hit and that hundreds of people have lost their roofs. He says people are cowering in closets and under stairwells and are "just holding on for life. They got hit really, really bad," he says.

There are no reports of deaths or injuries, but authorities are now trying to rescue people and get them into shelters.

Ike is now raking Haiti and barreling toward the Bahamas and Cuba as a powerful Category 4 storm.

Misick said Sunday that he will fly to Grand Turk once the weather subsides.