Hurricane fears over Caribbean storm

The death toll from Tropical storm Noel rose to 81 today as it headed for the Bahamas amid fears it may reach hurricane force.

Winds and driving rain triggered mudslides and floods in the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

With rain still falling on Hispaniola, the island shared by the Dominican Republic and Haiti, two days after the storm hit, rescuers were struggling to reach communities cut off by flooding.

As they did, they found a rising toll of death and damage – at least 56 dead in the Dominican Republic and 24 in Haiti. One person was killed in Jamaica.

Dominican President Leonel Fernandez declared a state of emergency after 14,500 homes were wrecked and asked for international help, especially rescue teams and helicopters. He ordered residents in 36 communities to evacuate because they were in potential flood zones.

Around 60,000 Dominicans fled their homes said Luis Antonio Luna, head of the Emergencies Commission.

He said officials were trying to reach dozens of isolated communities, but bad weather, a lack of helicopters and damage to bridges and roads slowed rescue efforts.

In neighbouring Haiti, floods rushed through houses in the capital’s Cite Soleil slum, carrying away a three-year-old boy as relatives frantically shouted for help and tried to reach him through the muddy, debris-filled water.

Two people were killed when their house collapsed in a mudslide in the hillside suburb of Petionville, and at least three others died in Jacmel, where officials said 150 people were trapped on rooftops awaiting aid.

Forecasters warned of worsening storm conditions in the Bahamas today and the government issued a hurricane watch for the north-western parts of the archipelago.

A government meteorologist said Noel was expected to be close to hurricane strength when it reached Andros Island, the chain’s largest.

The US National Hurricane Centre issued a tropical storm warning for the south-eastern Florida coast.