Just a week after Hurricane Gustav hit the Caribbean, the region is bracing itself for yet another major storm -Tropical Storm Hanna.
Early reports suggest the storm, which brushed northern Haiti in the early hours of today, has caused severe and dangerous flooding in the city of Gonaive.
Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and Cuba are still recovering after being hit by Hurricane Gustav, which killed 100 people on its path across the Caribbean.
Haiti's southern peninsular was particularly badly hit, after being battered with wind-speeds of 90mph (140km/h), and torrential rain. Most of those killed died in mudslides and flash floods.
Damage assessments in the wake of Gustav are still ongoing, but Christian Aid is already planning to send US$ 6,000 to supply 2,500 affected families in the slum district of Carrefour Feuilles with water purifier tablets and medicines.
One storm after another
Hanna and Gustav come hard on the heels of Tropical Storm Fay, which hit Haiti and neighbouring Dominican Republic with torrential rains in August, killing at least 23 people.
Haiti is the poorest country in the Americas, ranking below Bangladesh in the United Nations international poverty scale. The annual hurricane season affects the whole Caribbean, but Haiti is particularly vulnerable because of mass deforestation.
Ninety eight per cent of Haiti's forests have been cut down, leaving little natural defence against flash floods and mudslides. Previous storms have left heavy death tolls.
The annual Atlantic hurricane season lasts until November, and forecasters have predicted that there will be more storms than usual this year.
The UN's climate change panel warned last year that hurricanes in the Caribbean basin were likely to become more frequent and more intense because of global warming