Storm Forces Evacuations in Haiti

A sudden storm that swept through Haiti caused damage to thousands of tents and killed at least five people, including three children, around Port-au-Prince, a city still reeling from last January’s massive earthquake. With most of the quake’s 1.5 million homeless survivors still living in sprawling tent cities, the city is especially vulnerable to bad weather—only 13,500 temporary shelters have been built in the last eight months. “There was no indication, no warning. It was unexpected,” said a spokeswoman with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. “Our big concern is shelter with damage to tents, water and sanitation. Flooding is going to be a concern. We are mobilizing.” The United Nations has deployed soldiers throughout the area to assess the damage, with fallen trees lining the streets.