Authorities in Haiti say 12 people have died so far as a result of heavy rains unleashed by a cluster of storms in the northern Caribbean.
The mayor of the northern city of Cap-Haitien said today that four additional bodies have been found, adding to eight known earlier.
Yvon Alteon said some 5,000 people are in shelters and that flooding at the airport forced the cancellation of several flights.
Heavy flooding also was reported in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and the Dominican Republic, where dozens of families were evacuated. A high surf advisory was in effect for the region.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said a surface low pressure system could form later today or tomorrow as it moves northwestward. It is not expected to strengthen.
