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Deadly Hanna batters Haitian city Deadly Hanna threatening Bahamas
(about 16 hours later)
A new tropical storm, Hanna, has hit the Caribbean just hours after Hurricane Gustav crossed the coast of the US state of Louisiana. Emergency warnings have been issued in the Bahamas as Tropical Storm Hanna approaches, having already left at least 21 people dead in Haiti.
Police say the storm has killed 10 people in the town of Gonaives, much of which is under water. It hit the Caribbean as Gustav, a storm which killed 77 in Haiti last week, crossed the US coast at Louisiana.
There is also widespread flooding in Cuba and Puerto Rico. Hanna reached hurricane strength on Monday before weakening on Tuesday. Hanna, which could reach hurricane strength as it heads towards the US, has also dumped heavy rain on Cuba and Puerto Rico.
Gustav left nearly 90 people dead last week as it crossed the Caribbean. Two more major storms, Josephine and Ike, are following in Hanna's path.
In Gonaives, the mayor described the situation as "extremely urgent". Hurricane shelters were being readied across the Bahamas archipelago as residents in the northern town of Freeport stocked up on emergency supplies in anticipation of Hanna's arrival, reports said.
"The city is flooded and there are parts where the water gets to two metres (6.5ft)," Alta Jean-Baptiste, the head of the Caribbean country's civil protection agency, told Reuters news agency. As of 0900 GMT on Wednesday, the storm was centred about 90 miles (145km) south-east of Great Inagua island and drifting slowly northwards, the US National Hurricane Center said.
"A lot of people have been climbing onto the tops of their houses since last night to escape the flooding." It forecast Hanna would head over the Bahamas and towards the south-east coast of the US in the next few days.
Four years ago, a storm hit the same city killing more than 3,000 people. Following in its path across the Atlantic is Tropical Storm Ike, which is projected to hit the Bahamas on Sunday as a hurricane, and Tropical Storm Josephine, which is also expected to increase in strength later this week.
And only days ago Hurricane Gustav passed over Haiti - killing at least 77 people and destroying thousands of homes. 'Ripping up trees'
Haiti's northern city of Gonaives bore the brunt of Hanna's maximum sustained winds of 100km/h (65mph) on Tuesday, with people on roof-tops screaming for help as floods reached depths of two metres (6.5ft).
Eyewitness: Haiti's ordeals
"A lot of people have been climbing onto the tops of their houses since last night to escape the flooding," Alta Jean-Baptiste, the head of the Caribbean country's civil protection agency, told Reuters news agency.
UN peacekeepers and aid workers have been trying to reach stranded survivors.
"The situation is as bad as it can be," the UN's Vadre Louis told the Associated Press news agency.
"The wind is ripping up trees. Houses are flooded with water. Cars can't drive on the street. You can't rescue anyone, wherever they may be."
Four years ago, a powerful storm left more than 3,000 people dead in Gonaives.
Storms have killed more than 100 people in Haiti in the last three weeks.
The poor Caribbean island was first drenched by Tropical Storm Fay, before Hurricane Gustav wreaked havoc last week, with torrential rainfall over heavily deforested and hilly terrain causing floods and mudslides.