Furious Tropical Storm Fay drenches Haiti

Furious Tropical Storm Fay drenches Haiti
Hurricane Fay could hit Florida next week

Haiti Action.net — A dangerous tropical storm is dumping massive amounts of rain over the mountains of Haiti tonight. "These rains may produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides…" over the entire island according to the first alert issued for this surprising storm by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Florida. They also predicted that rainfall accumulations in excess of 12 inches could hit the higher elevations.

This is the first named tropical cyclone to directly hit Haiti this year.

In September of 2004 Tropical Storm Jeanne caused over 3000 deaths in the Artibonite region and Gonaïves. Civil defense forces were in disarray after the February 29, 2004 coup d'État that was caused when the U.S. Marines kidnapped President Jean Bertrand Aristide from his home near the site of the new US Embassy Compound in Tabarre. In the aftermath of TS Jeanne the UN occupation forces were overwhelmed as they attempted to assist the affected regions.

The NHC was surprised that Tropical Storm Fay formed so quickly over the Dominican Republic this afternoon. It was still considered a "tropical wave" late yesterday, August 14.

A Cuban delegation headed by Cuban Vice President Esteban Lazo is in Santo Domingo this weekend for President Leonel Fernandez's third inauguration but it is unclear how many of the other 14 heads of state that were expected will attend. Hugo Chavez was expected but the Venezuelan president will travel today to the investiture of Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo where the where the weather and political atmosphere are more favorable.

As opposed to the earlier reports by Reuters, the NHC is now forecasting that that there is a 30 percent chance that TS Fay will strengthen to a Hurricane by soon after the center leaves the north coast of Cuba and reaches the warmer open waters of the Gulf region. The forecast track is that Hurricane Fay will scrape along the entire west coast of Florida next week.