Torrential rain causes deadly flash flooding in Haiti leaving thousands displaced
At least 51 people have died in the floods since Saturday. Then Tuesday, a magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck, killing three and injuring more.
Deadly flooding in Haiti cuts off access to roads in Leogane
Video recorded near Léogâne, Haiti shows the major flooding caused by torrential rain. At least 42 people were killed in the extreme weather event after heavy rains began on June 2. (Video credit: Bilal Al Habashi via Storyful)
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Torrential downpours led to flash flooding across Haiti this week, claiming the lives of dozens of people and displacing thousands of families.
A low-pressure system brought intense rainstorms across Haiti on June 3, causing numerous rivers to overflow, flash flooding and landslides in many areas, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The rain began two days after the start of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season.
According to the UN, more than 50 deaths have been reported due to the flooding event, with 18 people still missing. More than 32,500 homes have been flooded, displacing thousands of people.
Officials with the Haitian Civil Protection Department said the flooding is most severe in the West, and the country's agricultural sector has also received a major hit.
![Resident wade through flooded roads in neighborhoods of Petit-Goâve, Haiti, on June 3, 2023, during heavy rainfall in Haiti.]()
Image 1 of 5Resident wade through flooded roads in neighborhoods of Petit-Goâve, Haiti, on June 3, 2023, during heavy rainfall in Haiti. (Photo by RICHARD PIERRIN/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
![A view from the area after flooding in the Portail Leogane, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on June 4, 2023.]()
Image 2 of 5A view from the area after flooding in the Portail Leogane, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on June 4, 2023. (Photo by Guerinault Louis/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )
![A view from the area after flooding in the Portail Leogane, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on June 4, 2023.]()
Image 3 of 5A view from the area after flooding in the Portail Leogane, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on June 4, 2023. (Photo by Guerinault Louis/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) ( )
![Residents cross the submerged Route Nationale 2 at L'Acul in the Arrondissement of Léogâne 23 mi (or 37 km) west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, June 3, 2023, during heavy rains.]()
Image 4 of 5Residents cross the submerged Route Nationale 2 at L'Acul in the Arrondissement of Léogâne 23 mi (or 37 km) west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, June 3, 2023, during heavy rains. (Photo by RICHARD PIERRIN/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
![Residents cross the submerged Route Nationale 2 at L'Acul in the Arrondissement of Léogâne 23 mi (or 37 km) west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, June 3, 2023, during heavy rains]()
Image 5 of 5Residents cross the submerged Route Nationale 2 at L'Acul in the Arrondissement of Léogâne 23 mi (or 37 km) west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, June 3, 2023, during heavy rains. (Photo by RICHARD PIERRIN/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
Rescue operations are ongoing across multiple municipalities where access to roads and communities has been cut off due to the water.
Civil Protection, Haitian Red Cross and Semanah teams have been conducting rescue operations since Saturday, according to the Civil Protection Department.
Magnitude 4.9 earthquake strikes, killing 3
As flooding still inundated the country, an earthquake struck early Tuesday morning near the city of Jeremie.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake was recorded at 5:11 a.m. local time and registered as a 4.9 magnitude with a depth of 6.2 miles.
The UN General Directorate for Civil Protection reports three people were killed during the earthquake and more than two dozen people were injured.