Tropical storm causes severe flooding

Tropical Storm Hanna caused severe flooding in Haiti and parts of the Dominican Republic on 2 September 2008. Flooding has particularly affected the northwestern Haitian city of Gonaives, which is located 94 mi/152 km north of Port-au-Prince. The storm has killed at least 23 people in Haiti. Flooding has rendered roads in the area completely impassable. As of 1200 UTC on 3 September, the storm was located approximately 105 mi/170 km southeast of Great Inagua Island, the southernmost district of the Bahamas. The storm is moving eastward at 5 mph/4 kt and has maximum sustained winds of near 60 mph/52 kt with higher gusts. According to meteorologists at Wilkens Weather Technologies, the storm will likely strengthen to hurricane status as it moves northwest. The storm is expected to move through the central Bahamas on 4 September and make landfall in the southeastern United States, most likely along the Georgia-South Carolina border, on 6 September. Florida, which expects heavy rainfall, has already declared a state of emergency. Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Ike was located approximately 835 mi/1,340 km east-northeast of the Leeward Islands as of 0900 UTC on 3 September. The storm is moving west-northwest at 18 mph/16 kt and has maximum sustained winds of 65 mph/56 kt with higher gusts. According to meteorologists at Wilkens Weather Technologies, the storm is expected to reach hurricane status later on 3 September. The storm will likely affect the Bahamas, Cuba and Haiti on 5 September. Tropical Storm Josephine formed in the eastern Atlantic on 2 September 2008. As of 0900 UTC on 3 September 2008, the storm was located approximately 220 mi/355 km west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. The storm is moving west-northwest at 13 mph/11 kt and has maximum sustained winds of 60 mph/52 kt. The storm is expected to gradually strengthen, possibly to hurricane status, as early as 3 or 4 September.