Haiti

Haiti

Tropical storm Emily brings in rough seas to Malecón, Dominican Republic. The storm is expected to bring rain in Haiti.
Hundreds of thousands who have toiled under armed still living in temporary camps after devastating earthquakes last year, is braced for heavy rains and winds as tropical storm Emily approaches.

Forecasters predicted the storm would make landfall South Haiti peninsula, bringing the threat of mudslides and flash floods. More than 600,000 people still live without shelter after the earthquake of January 2010, killed at least 46,000.

"If any storm, we will meet our breakup," said Renel Joseph, 57-year-old resident of Cite Soleil, a seaside shantytown of Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince.

David Preux, head of the Mission for the International Organization for migration to the southern town of Jacmel, said he expected conditions to worsen during the night: "the problem is when people wait until the last minute to evacuate."

The storm's forward motion slowed on Wednesday evening and appeared likely to skirt the southern tip of the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Emily had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph (80kph).

Dominican authorities retained tropical storm warning in effect for the southwestern coast but ended with a warning Wednesday night from Cabo Francés Viejo south-eastwards to Cabo Engaño.

Although the center of the storm seemed likely to lose most from the island, heavy rainfall, which still poses a risk to both countries, said Diana Goeller, a meteorologist with the US National Hurricane Center (NHC). Countries divided by a range of high mountains.

"This storm is very heavy rainfall," said Goeller, the Associated Press. "Both in these mountain areas could be mudslides very dangerous, life-threatening or sudden floods."

John Cangialosi, Hurricane specialist with the NHC, said up to 20 inches (51 cm) of snow was possible in areas of high-elevation. This is enough to cause serious problems in a country that is prone to devastating floods.

Michel Davison of US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the storm had fallen earlier to 10 inches of rain to parts of Puerto Rico, though the Center never got within 100 milesof the island.

Francois Prophete, who managed corrugated-metal roof of the one-room cinder block home in South-eastern hills of Port-au-Prince said that most people have some options in a nation where the vast majority are desperately poor. "We cannot do much," he said.

Local authorities urged people to conserve food and to secure their belongings.

An unknown number of people in flood-prone areas left to stay with relatives and friends, said Emmanuelle Schneider, a spokesman for the UN Office for the coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. There were no evacuations organized by the Government on the spot late on Wednesday, streamlining.

"There will be an official evacuation when there is flooding," Schneider said.

There was no reason for concern. A storm in June triggered landslides slow and flooding in Haiti and killed at least 28 people. And poverty makes it difficult for people to take even the most basic precautions.

Joceline Alcide stashed in two adult birth certificates and the school paper in small plastic bags that aid groups. It was the only way to protect yourself.

"There is not Really much more we can do. Just got these bags, "the 39-year-old said, standing outside; excludes waterproof shelter.