200,000 marooned in mud as storm devastates Haiti

Residents of Haiti were last night clearing up the devastation caused by Tropical Storm Hanna, as officials in the US prepared for the storm to hit.

Hanna caused major flooding in Haiti this week, leaving at least 61 people dead and thousands more stranded on rooftops without food or clean water. The President, Rene Preval, has called the situation catastrophic and appealed for international help.

A UN mission is assisting with relief efforts in the hard-hit northern city of Gonaives, where 200,000 people have been affected by floods and mudslides. Forecasters expect Hanna to regain hurricane strength today as it continues on a path toward the south-eastern US. The Governor of Virginia already has declared a state of emergency.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Ike, an extremely dangerous category four storm, was moving across the Atlantic Ocean with winds of 220km per hour. Officials said it was too early to determine what, if any, land areas Ike might affect. Ike is the third major hurricane of this year's Atlantic season.

Forecasters also are monitoring Tropical Storm Josephine, hovering in the eastern Atlantic with winds of 95km per hour.