Deadly Tropical Storm Hits Haiti and Heads for Us Coast
After flooding and landslides killed at least 60 people in Haiti, US residents are braced as tropical storm Hanna heads for South Carolina
The turbulent Atlantic storm season continues to wreak havoc in the Caribbean today after tropical storm Hanna passed over Haiti, causing flooding and mudslides that killed at least 60 people.
"We are in a really catastrophic situation," the Haitian president, Rene Preval, told the Reuters news agency. "There are a lot of people on rooftops and there are prisoners that we cannot guard."
Residents in the south-east of the United States are braced for more hurricanes as Hanna heads north-west towards the coast of South Carolina.
Behind it lies hurricane Ike, which notched up category four wind speeds of 135mph in the mid-Atlantic. It is expected to hit the Bahamas on Sunday. And behind Ike there is tropical storm Josephine, which is weakening.
Following Bertha and Gustav, Ike is the third major hurricane of the season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.
Forecasters warn that Hanna, which was classed as a category 1 hurricane earlier this week, is likely to reach hurricane speeds again by tomorrow.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami warned its reach was expanding, with tropical storm force winds extending up to 290 miles (465km) from its center.
"Hanna has become a large tropical cyclone," the hurricane center said.
It said a hurricane watch may be required for some of the south-east of the US.
Long-range forecasts are that Hanna that it could hit anywhere from Georgia to North Carolina on Saturday and curve along the US Atlantic coast. Because of the uncertain path, emergency officials in the US have so far held off from ordering an evacuation.
"Hopefully the good lord will bless us and this storm will skirt past but we are ready in whatever case happens," said Keith Summey, the mayor of North Charleston.
Officials as far north as Washington DC have urged people to prepare for heavy winds and rain.
New Orleans residents have been starting to return home after fleeing hurricane Gustav, which did less damage than feared but still caused serious flooding and could leave some parts of Louisiana without electricity for up to a month.
"We are in a really catastrophic situation," the Haitian president, Rene Preval, told the Reuters news agency. "There are a lot of people on rooftops and there are prisoners that we cannot guard."
Residents in the south-east of the United States are braced for more hurricanes as Hanna heads north-west towards the coast of South Carolina.
Behind it lies hurricane Ike, which notched up category four wind speeds of 135mph in the mid-Atlantic. It is expected to hit the Bahamas on Sunday. And behind Ike there is tropical storm Josephine, which is weakening.
Following Bertha and Gustav, Ike is the third major hurricane of the season, which runs from June 1 to November 30.
Forecasters warn that Hanna, which was classed as a category 1 hurricane earlier this week, is likely to reach hurricane speeds again by tomorrow.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami warned its reach was expanding, with tropical storm force winds extending up to 290 miles (465km) from its center.
"Hanna has become a large tropical cyclone," the hurricane center said.
It said a hurricane watch may be required for some of the south-east of the US.
Long-range forecasts are that Hanna that it could hit anywhere from Georgia to North Carolina on Saturday and curve along the US Atlantic coast. Because of the uncertain path, emergency officials in the US have so far held off from ordering an evacuation.
"Hopefully the good lord will bless us and this storm will skirt past but we are ready in whatever case happens," said Keith Summey, the mayor of North Charleston.
Officials as far north as Washington DC have urged people to prepare for heavy winds and rain.
New Orleans residents have been starting to return home after fleeing hurricane Gustav, which did less damage than feared but still caused serious flooding and could leave some parts of Louisiana without electricity for up to a month.
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