- Title: HAITI: Tropical Storm Noel causes flooding and devastation in Haiti
- Date: 31st October 2007
- Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (HAITIAN CREOLE) LALOUSSE VILLA, FATHER OF ISMAIL VILLA, SAYING: "While I was away, looking around not too far from my home, I heard people crying and, when I turned back to see why, I saw that it was my own son lying down, being taken by the MINUSTAH (United Nations forces) from the flooded river."
- Embargoed: 15th November 2007 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Haiti
- Country: Haiti
- Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes,Weather
- Reuters ID: LVABH34M3LPTCICXZ0QCFT8YKY7S
- Story Text: Flood waters rose in Haiti on Tuesday (October 30) after Tropical Storm Noel lashed the impoverished nation and claimed at least 13 victims in the Caribbean.
While the heaviest rains appeared -- at least initially -- to have fallen over the Dominican Republic to the east, Haiti is particularly vulnerable to deadly floods because 90 percent of its forests have been chopped down, mainly to make charcoal. The Dominican Republic has far more tree cover.
In Leogane, municipal official Waking Gusgtave said the government was to blame for the ravaging effects of the flooding.
"As you see, not only the towns of Carrefour Vert, but Morel and Bino flooded today -- not because we're not doing our best to prevent it. It's the government that is not doing its job of making the sewers more accessible so the water can go out to sea," he said.
In Blanchard, a young boy's body was pulled out of the river after his father had gone out to survey conditions.
"While I was away, looking around not too far from my home, I heard people crying," said Lalousse Villa, Ismael Villa's father.
"When I turned back to see why, I saw that it was my own son lying down, being taken by the MINUSTAH (United Nations forces) from the flooded river."
Noel's top winds fell to 45 miles per hour (75 km per hour) by the time it reached northern Haiti, the hurricane center said.
In Jacmel, swollen rivers and mudslides sent mud and rocks pouring onto the street and into houses.
Residents swept away mud and tried to clean up after the storm.
"When we looked around, we saw that water had entered the houses," said one man. "Water covered the pigs and parked cars. Yet the authorities never came around to evaluate the damages. No one can really count on the government."
The poorest country in the Americas, Haiti is still recovering from torrential rains that killed 31 people and made 1,000 homeless in the first two weeks of October.
In 2004, Tropical Storm Jeanne passed north of Haiti and buried the port city of Gonaives in mud, killing 3,000 people. In spring that same year, flooding in the south killed 2,000 more.
The six-month hurricane season runs until the end of November. While the 14 storms so far this year are more than normal, it has been a far cry from the record-busting 2005 season, - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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