Tropical storm Hanna has killed at least seven people in Haiti. Many towns are flooded. The worst hit town is Gonaives. Haitian President René Préval says it is a terrible disaster and fears the devastation could be worse than in 2004, when more than 3,000 people were killed. Tens of thousands of Haitians have fled to rooftops and make-shift shelters. Hundreds of houses have been destroyed. Hanna is now raging close to the Bahamas. The tropical storm is expected to reach hurricane strength later this week when it makes landfall on the US coast.
In her wake, two more cyclones are brewing; Ike and Josephine. In just a matter of hours, Ike has transformed from a tropical storm into a category three hurricane.
Meanwhile, the residents of New Orleans have been given the go ahead to return to the city. All road blocks leading to the southern US city have been lifted. Caution, however, is still being advised for a number of towns in the path of hurricane Gustav. The hurricane has cost almost a hundred people their lives in the US, Cuba and Haiti and has caused considerable damage.
Source: RNW
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