Rare Tropical Storm Nears Haiti

Tropical Storm Odette bore down on Haiti's south coast Friday, threatening to unleash mudslides and flash floods that often prove fatal in the impoverished country.

Odette, the first recorded tropical storm to brew in the Caribbean Sea in December, also is expected to carry torrential rain to the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.

Odette could reach Hispaniola early Saturday and drop up to 10 inches of rain that could cause life-threatening flash floods and mudslides, especially in Haiti's deforested mountains, the U.S. National Hurricane Center warned.

In 1994, Tropical Storm Gordon caused mudslides that buried at least 829 Haitians. More recently, nearly 30 died in September during floods caused by heavy rain in St. Marc, about 45 miles northwest of the capital.

At 10 a.m. the storm was packing 50 mph winds with higher gusts and was expected to strengthen a bit before it reaches the mountains of Haiti, the hurricane center reported. Tropical storm force winds extended up to 175 miles and Odette was located about 290 miles southwest of the Dominican Republic's south coast.

"This is the first time ever that we've had a named storm in the Caribbean during December," said Dave Roberts, a meteorologist at the hurricane center in Miami. "It is extremely unusual but the conditions have been favorable with light winds and warm temperatures." Hurricane season officially ended Nov. 30.

Roberts said Odette was likely to gain strength but would not become a hurricane. Storms become hurricanes when their winds reach 74 mph.

Radio broadcasts warned Haitians to evacuate low-lying areas on the south coast and to stock up on supplies and food.

Odette formed in the western Caribbean Sea on Thursday, kicking up heavy rain and strong gusts.

Tropical storm warnings were posted in Jamaica and Haiti. The Dominican Republic extended its storm warning eastward to Isla Saona, a Dominican island in the south.

Miguel Campusano, a forecaster from the National Weather Office in the Dominican Republic, said he expected the central-western part of the country to be hardest hit.