Close Call

Haiti Spared From Hurricane Tomas

But near-miss highlights country’s vulnerability.

Haiti, still bruised from January’s massive earthquake, narrowly avoided another disaster on Friday, as Hurricane Tomas passed to the west without making a direct hit. Haitians weren’t spared entirely, though: Flooding occurred in several cities, and officials reported seven deaths from the events. With news of the impending storm, President Rene Preval told vulnerable citizens to evacuate, but many people—one million, in fact—are still living in tent cities with nowhere to go. “We say in Haiti, one bad thing brings a good thing,” said one citizen, a rum maker. “Maybe if this didn’t happen, the international community wouldn’t realize what a mess Haiti still is.” International aid organizations are still struggling to find permanent shelter for the earthquake’s survivors.