Hurricane death toll in Haiti passes 500 as floods recede

THE death toll in Haiti has climbed beyond 500 people after the area was hit by a hurricane.
While Hurricane Hanna did little damage as it raced past the Bahamas and posed only a moderate threat to the US East Coast, the death toll in Haiti has risen steadily as the floods unleashed by its torrential rains began to recede.

At least 495 bodies have been found in the mud-heaped port city of Gonaives, where thousands survived by climbing on rooftops, bringing the death toll to 529.

Ships and planes have begun to arrive with desperately needed aid for Haiti, which has been hit by three deadly storms in less than a month.

US authorities declared a state of emergency, several North Carolina beach communities were under evacuation orders and campgrounds were shut.

Storm alerts were issued from Georgia to New Jersey, as the eighth tropical storm of the hurricane season threatened the East Coast with flash flooding.

And Hurricane Ike initially looked far more threatening. However, it weakened as it charged across the Atlantic on Friday.

The US National Hurricane Center said Ike was expected to remain a "major" storm of Category 3 or higher.