Rains kill 7 in Haiti, cause flooding elsewhere

Heavy rains caused by a cluster of storms in the northern Caribbean killed at least seven people in Haiti and caused major flooding today in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, authorities said.
Three children died in the capital of Port-au-Prince after the wall of a home fell on them, said civil protection officer Nadia Lochard. Four other people died in the northern city of Cap-Haitien, including three who drowned while attempting to cross a swollen river and another person who apparently was electrocuted, officials said.
More than 1,200 homes in Cap-Haitien also were flooded.
In the nearby Dominican province of Monte Cristi, across the border that Haiti shares with the Dominican Republic, authorities evacuated several families after a river overflowed its banks and cut off access to several communities. School officials canceled classes in some areas.

Flooding also was reported across Puerto Rico, forcing several roads to close. A flood warning was in effect through early Wednesday.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said the cluster of storms is expected to strengthen some by Wednesday or Thursday, but is not likely to reach subtropical status as it moves to the north-northeast.