World

Storms Swirl in Atlantic, Floods Hit Haiti

by Jarrett Martineau | September 2, 2008 at 04:46 pm

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Just as Hurricane Gustav appears to be subsiding, the next wave of Atlantic-formed tropical storms has begun to strike Haiti, the Bahamas, and the southeast American coastline.

Heavy rains flooded parts of Haiti with head-high water on Tuesday, killing at least 16 people, as Tropical Storm Hanna swirled over the Bahamas and took aim at the U.S. southeast.

A new tropical storm, Josephine, formed off Africa behind Tropical Storm Ike. Both were moving westward just as Hurricane Gustav dissipated after slamming into the U.S. Gulf Coast near New Orleans.

Hurricane Hanna is on the move over the Bahamas and is expected to strengthen back into a Category 1 hurricane in the days ahead.

By Tuesday night, Hanna was bearing down on Great Inagua Island in the Bahamas with 65 mph (100 kph) winds, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

It was expected to strengthen back into a Category 1 hurricane on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale of intensity, with winds of at least 74 mph (119 kph) on Wednesday or Thursday.

Hanna dumped torrential rains on the southeastern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos island, where emergency officials warned of high seas and possible flooding.

Meanwhile, in Haiti, flood waters have killed at least 12 people:

Authorities said at least 12 people were killed in low-lying Gonaives, three in the nearby town of Gros Morne and one in the southwest city of Miragoane.

Additionally, Hurricane Ike has also formed and could also pose a potential threat to the Caribbean islands and the United States:

Tropical Storm Ike headed west after forming on Monday between Africa and the Caribbean and appeared likely to become a hurricane that would threaten the Caribbean islands and possibly the United States.

Ike was about 1,030 miles east of the Leeward Islands and moving west at 17 mph (28 kph) late on Tuesday. Its top sustained winds had strengthened to 65 mph (100 kph) and were expected to reach hurricane strength of 74 mph (119 kph) by Wednesday.

Hurricane Josephine does yet appear to be a threat, however, it is being closely monitored:

Josephine was some 125 miles (205 km) south-southwest of the Cape Verde islands, off West Africa, and was not expected to affect population centers in the next five days, Clark said.