Haiti, Jamaica: Hurricane Update

As the Caribbean territories that were hit by Hurricane Gustav begin their clean-up efforts, new storms threaten to disrupt these islands once again.

Jamaica's YardFlex.com reports that Gustav actually split the Hope River Bridge and files a separate post detailing the relief efforts.

Haiti, however, is still reeling. Haiti Reborn says that between Gustav and Hanna, the island is battered:

Hurricane Gustav tore ashore at Jacmel on the southern peninsula of Haiti on August 26th. More than 12 inches of rain fell in a few hours on Haiti's denuded hillsides. More than 75 Haitians lost their lives and over 8000 their homes in mudslides and flash floods in the hours afterwards. The sad truth is that Haiti was still recovering from tropical storm Fay which soaked the island earlier in the month, killing 23.

Just today Hurricane Hanna glanced off the northern coast, bringing concentrated rain to the same region around Gonaive where three thousand died in the flooding of tropical storm Jeanne in September 2004. Preliminary indications are that severe flooding is beginning to take place again…

Pwoje Espwa thought that pictures would describe the situation better than words, but Theo still managed to say a few words himself:

The schools are filled with homeless families; downtown Les Cayes is flooded; at least three locals have drowned. This is sad but, from what I hear, it is much worse in Gonaives which Hurricane Jeanne slammed a few years ago. Keep the folks there in your prayers.

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