NU Online News Service, Nov. 5, 2:10 p.m. EDT

Hurricane Tomas, a Category 1 storm, is expected on Friday to strike Haiti, a country still recovering from an earthquake early this year.

The biggest threat to Haiti will be as much as 15 inches of rain produced by the hurricane. That amount of rain could produce flash floods and mudslides, according to the National Hurricane Center, which added that Tomas could raise water levels by as much as three feet above normal tides along the coast of Haiti and some coastal parts of Cuba.

Heavy rain is also predicted for the Dominican Republic.

If there is any good news, it is that the country's capital of Port au Prince is not expected to experience strong winds from Tomas, said modeler Risk Management Solutions (RMS).

The capital city was leveled by an earthquake in January.

As of early morning, Tomas had sustained winds of about 80 mph. The storm is expected to pass the Turks and Caicos Islands and the Bahamas later today before weakening due to wind shear.

A hurricane warning was in effect for these regions as well as the Cuban province of Guantanamo.

RMS said conditions in November remain conducive for hurricane formation. About 20 hurricanes have formed in November since 1950, said RMS. Most affected the Caribbean, and just four reached major hurricane (Category 3) status.

Tomas is the 19^th named storm and the 12^th hurricane to form this Atlantic hurricane season.

Special Reports /

Haiti Hunkers Down For Hurricane Tomas

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