As of Sept. 6 more than 500 people had reportedly died in Gonaives, Haiti's third largest city, following the passage of tropical storm Hanna; deforestation has left the Gonaives area vulnerable to flooding, and as many as 3,000 people died there in 2004 as a result of tropical storm Jeanne. Hanna came less than a week after hurricane Gustav hit the country and caused some 77 deaths; flooding from tropical storm Kay left about 40 people dead earlier in August. (Haiti Support Group News Briefs, Sept. 5, 6 from AFP)

Although it caused no deaths, Cuban officials said on Aug. 31 that hurricane Gustav was the island's most destructive hurricane in 50 years, knocking out electricity on the Isla de la Juventud and in much of Pinar del Rio province and La Habana province. Former president Fidel Castro estimated the economic impact at $3-4 billion. (La Jornada, Sept. 1, 4 from correspondent)

From Weekly News Update on the Americas, Sept. 7

See our last posts on Haiti and Cuba.