Tomas' rains cause flooding in Haiti

Port-au-Prince, Agency
Hurricane Tomas on Friday brought widespread flooding to Haiti, a country that has still not recovered from the devastation of the Jan. 12 earthquake and which now faces a cholera epidemic.

The city of Leogane, west of the capital, through which several rivers flow, is flooded and some inhabitants are in great difficulties, correspondents said.

With regard to the storm surge along the coasts, weather bureau director Ronald Semelfort said that seas could rise 2.5 meters (8 feet) above normal levels.

Tomas took its first victim Thursday, a man who was swept away in his vehicle by flooding from the swollen Glace River in the southwestern town of Duchiti.

As of 1500 GMT, the center of Tomas was 150 kilometers (90 miles) southeast of Guantanamo, Cuba, and 230 kilometers (140 miles) north-northwest of Port-au-Prince, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

Tomas has maximum sustained winds of 140 kph (85 mph) and is moving toward the north-northeast at 19 kph (12 mph), according to the latest bulletin from the NHC.

The hurricane is expected to gain additional strength before it begins to weaken on Saturday, the NHC said.

In Haiti, the effects of Tomas began to be felt on Thursday afternoon. Strong winds and rain occurred during the night in the provinces of Grand'Anse and Sud-Est, where seas are very turbulent.

The roofs of some houses were blown away by winds in the towns of Beaumont and Irois, according to civil defense officials in Grande'Anse.

Widespread damage affecting highways has also been reported.

Thousands of people who have been living in refugee camps following the earthquake in the capital evacuated those shelters with the aid of local authorities and the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, or Minustah.

Evacuation operations continue in several provinces, particularly in the south.