Tropical storms Laura and Marco go to the USA: in Haiti and the Dominican Republic they have already claimed 12 lives

At least 12 people were killed in two storms on Sunday, August 23 in the Caribbean. Writes about it with the BBC.

Photo: Shutterstock

Hurricane Marco and Tropical Storm Laura caused high winds and storm surges, killing at least nine people in Haiti and three more in the Dominican Republic.

Heavy rains also hit Cuba and the American territory of Puerto Rico.

Marco is expected to make landfall in Louisiana on Monday, August 24th, and Laura is expected to make landfall in Texas by Thursday, August 27th.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that by early Tuesday, August 25, Laura is expected to be a hurricane.

Waterspout south of Galliano, LA this morning. ?: Kyle Crouchet. #Marco @NWSNewOrleans @wdsu @spann pic.twitter.com/pN3OxIFF10

- Kweilyn Murphy (@KweilynWDSU) August 23

National Meteorological Service meteorologist Benjamin Schott said Laura could land in a Category 3 storm and cause dangerous storm surges up to 10 feet (3 m) off the southeast coast. CNN.

Forecasters also say Laura could turn east towards Louisiana, and this could be the first time in history that a single state has been hit by two successive hurricanes.

Tropical storm Marco. Screenshot: nhc

“It's unprecedented to have two hurricanes make landfall within 2 hours of each other,” Schott said. “In the modern history of meteorology, there has never been anything like two hurricanes making landfall within 48 hours of each other.”

What is known about the victims

Nine people died in Haiti. Civil Protection Director Jerry Chandler said two more, a mother and her child, went missing after being swept away by the flood.

Local media reports that the missing woman is a pediatrician at Port-au-Prince Hospital.

#Haiti was hammered by heavy rain from Tropical Storm #Laura (?), as a second tropical storm, named #Marco, was forecast to strengthen into a hurricane and hit the US state of #Louisiana in the next day. https://t.co/FKxccdiPlh pic.twitter.com/Yp5FmwZE1P

- Atlantide (@Atlantide4world) August 23

Among the victims was a 10-year-old girl who was hit by a falling branch in Anse-à-Pitre on the southern coast of Haiti, near the border with the Dominican Republic.

One woman died in a flood in Jacmel, also on the south coast, and a man and two other women died in and around Port-au-Prince.

The footage posted on social media shows Haitians struggling to escape as the flooding gathers momentum.

There are no details about other victims in Haiti yet.

On the subject: The first time in history: two powerful hurricanes converge off the coast of the United States

In the neighboring Dominican Republic of Haiti, a 37-year-old woman and her nine-year-old son were killed when a wall collapsed in their home west of the capital, Santo Domingo, during heavy rains.

A 22-year-old man died when his house collapsed under the weight of a falling tree.

Tropical storm Laura. Screenshot: nhc

In total, 200 houses were damaged in the Dominican Republic, 1000 people had to be evacuated.

Meanwhile, in Cuba, many residents of the country's eastern regions were evacuated and placed in shelters or safer buildings.

Where are the storms headed

On Sunday, August 23, Marco has turned into a hurricane with sustained winds of up to 75 mph (120 km / h) as it moves north between Cuba and the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. According to the NHC, as of August 24, Marco has weakened again to a tropical storm with sustained 50 mph (80 km / h) winds.

Get ready Florida, & Gulf States along the Gulf of Mexico your government has been spraying and blasting these storms to intensify their strength to destroy what's in their path #Laura #Marco we saw it in the Bahamas?? last year this year they want your property & insurance pic.twitter.com/iCzkmQS7n7

- (iv £ £ vo (v £ (if £ (@LiveEvolveLife) August 22

Laura is expected to head northwest towards Houston, Texas, the fourth largest city in the United States.

The US National Hurricane Center has warned that recurring hurricanes arriving in the US over several days with each other could result in continued danger.

A US Coast Guard warning has been issued for the port of New Orleans, and an evacuation plan has been drawn up from some areas.

US President Donald Trump issued a disaster statement for Louisiana, in which he indicated that relief efforts need to be coordinated. On Saturday 22 August, a similar announcement was made for Puerto Rico.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott declared a state of emergency in 23 counties in the state. Galveston County Judge Mark Henry said Hurricane Marco will likely not be dangerous to residents. “Unfortunately, we can’t say the same for Storm Laura,” Henry said.

The situation in Louisine

Long lines lined up outside Louisiana grocery stores.

Stacey Osborne said it took her 30 minutes to get in line at the checkout.

“I stocked up on food and water for the week and filled the car with gas just in case—like usual,” she said.

Devastating flooding in the Dominican Republic ??

tropical storm #Laura making large impact.pic.twitter.com/dtAnwAl2X7

- Scott From Scotland (@ScottDuncanWX) August 23

Jon Snow from Baton Rouge witnessed a huge line at Costco around the building just 10 minutes after the store opened.

“It ended up taking 20 to 25 minutes to get to the store, which was not easy given the Louisiana heat and the masks,” he said.

Snow said he always stocks up on essentials and fills up: "As always, we hope for the best, but plan for the worst."

Read also on ForumDaily:

'Extremely Active': Meteorologists Release New Hurricane Season Forecast

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Hurricanes around the world are getting stronger and more intense: what comes next

Rescue Tips: How to Survive a Tornado

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