Storms Caused Evacuations & Death in the Caribbean
While the west of the continent faces wildfires, the south has been facing a predicament of its own – tropical storms and hurricanes that have caused thousands to evacuate from their homes, reportedly killing upto 12 with conditions yet to worsen by today.
According to reports, Storm Marco, and Hurricane Laura have caused the tropical areas in the Caribbean to become battered in their wake, resulting in the deaths of 9 people in Haiti and 3 in the Dominican Republic. Jerry Chandler, the Civil Protection Director has stated that a mother and child are also missing after the flooding, as reported by BBC.
Heavy rains and windstorms have also terribly affected Cuba and the US territory of Puerto Rico. BBC also reported that while Marco has already hit Louisiana yesterday, Laura is expected to hit Texas later this week on Thursday.
Almost two hundred homes have been damaged in the Dominican with over a thousand people who had to be evacuated. Numerous people in Cuba have been placed in shelter homes at a higher ground at the moment.
The President of Haiti Jovenel Moise tweeted his condolences saying, “I share the grief of the families whose loved ones were killed this August 23 as Tropical Storm Laura passed through the country. I urge the public to follow the instructions of the authorities to protect themselves from the damage that this weather could cause.” (Translated by Google Translate from Haitian Creole)
Je partage la douleur des familles dont les proches ont trouvé la mort, ce 23 août, lors du passage, dans le pays, de la tempête tropicale Laura. J’exhorte la population à respecter les consignes des autorités pour se protéger des dégâts que pourraient provoquer ces intempéries.
— Président Jovenel Moïse (@moisejovenel) August 23, 2020
Storm Marco is reported to sustain winds at a strength of upto 75mph (120km/h) while Hurricane Laura is being predicted to be headed towards Houston, TX. The US National Hurricane Center has given out warnings for back-to-back hurricanes while the US Coast Guard has had to issue a warning for the New Orleans Port, asking ships to make evacuation plans.
Stay tuned with Media Quotient Inc. for updates on this developing story.
Credits: Jorge Reyes/EPA