This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-19365052#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
The article has changed 16 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 6 | Version 7 |
---|---|
Tropical Storm Isaac poised to hit Haiti, Dominican Republic | |
(about 2 hours later) | |
High winds and driving rain are lashing the coast of Haiti as Tropical Storm Isaac moves closer to the shore. | |
The centre of the storm was last reported as being about 100km from the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. | |
Aid groups warn that some 400,000 Haitians still living in makeshift camps after the deadly earthquake of 2010 are extremely vulnerable. | |
Forecasters say Isaac could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. | |
The United States National Hurricane Centre (NHCi) predicts that the storm will move near or over Cuba later on Saturday and approach the Florida Keys on Sunday. | |
The storm could pose a potential threat to Florida during the US Republican National Convention. | The storm could pose a potential threat to Florida during the US Republican National Convention. |
Disease warning | Disease warning |
Isaac is no longer expected to become a hurricane as it hits the island of Hispaniola - the island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic - but the near-hurricane strength winds and rain have the potential to cause great destruction, especially in Haiti. | |
"These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides," the NHC warned. | "These rains could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides," the NHC warned. |
In Haiti, people living in the makeshift squatter camps were "amongst the more vulnerable, should the storm hit the city", humanitarian group World Vision said. | In Haiti, people living in the makeshift squatter camps were "amongst the more vulnerable, should the storm hit the city", humanitarian group World Vision said. |
"Without a stable sanitation system or permanent housing, heavy rain and wind can create much larger problems like disease from water contamination," the group's Haiti director Jean-Claude Mukadi was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency. | "Without a stable sanitation system or permanent housing, heavy rain and wind can create much larger problems like disease from water contamination," the group's Haiti director Jean-Claude Mukadi was quoted as saying by the AFP news agency. |
The country's president, Michael Martelly, has toured some of the camp sites. | |
"It looks like the south coast is going to get hit, but again we're so fragile here in Port-au-Prince that just some rain can cause a lot of damage," Associated Press quoted him as saying afterwards. | |
Isaac is also expected to bring rain and wind to nearby Puerto Rico. | Isaac is also expected to bring rain and wind to nearby Puerto Rico. |
Several Cuban provinces are now on a state of alert, as are parts of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos islands. | |
Are you in the path of Tropical Storm Isaac? Are you preparing for the storm? Please tell us your stories using the form below. | Are you in the path of Tropical Storm Isaac? Are you preparing for the storm? Please tell us your stories using the form below. |