At least four people have died and two remain missing after days of heavy rainfall triggered flooding and landslides across Haiti, while neighboring Dominican Republic has reported dozens of communities cut off by rising water.
The storms have damaged homes, roads and farmland across the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, which the two countries share. Haiti's provisional disaster assessment recorded 847 destroyed homes and more than 3,200 affected families. In the Dominican Republic, emergency officials reported 30 isolated communities and significant disruptions to drinking-water supplies.
Although Haiti lifted several rainfall alerts on October 27, the consequences of the flooding remain substantial. Dominican authorities, meanwhile, continued warning of additional rainfall and possible landslides.
Haiti Reports Deaths and Extensive Housing Damage
Haiti's General Directorate of Civil Protection (DGPC) reported four deaths, three injuries and two missing people in its preliminary assessment issued October 26, according to Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste.
Two deaths occurred in Nippes, one in Sud and another in Grand'Anse. The missing people were fishermen in Grand'Anse. Authorities initially received reports of eight missing fishermen, six of whom subsequently returned safely.
The assessment counted 3,209 affected families across 21 communes, alongside 2,130 flooded homes, 847 destroyed homes and 219 additional damaged properties. These are provisional figures, and the different housing categories should not be treated as interchangeable.
Nippes recorded the largest reported number of flooded homes, with 1,285. Grand'Anse followed with 372, Sud with 300 and Ouest with 173.
The scale of housing damage creates immediate challenges for residents whose homes are uninhabitable or difficult to reach. Authorities have also documented flooded town centers, overflowing rivers and disrupted transportation links.
Flooding Cuts Off Communities in the Dominican Republic
Across the border, the Dominican Republic's Emergency Operations Center (COE) reported 30 communities isolated by flooding as of its October 27 morning assessment. The agency also recorded 105 affected homes, 412 affected people and six displaced residents, according to Diario Libre's reporting on the official situation report.
The same report identified 28 water-supply systems out of service, affecting service to approximately 485,911 users. This figure describes users affected by disrupted water systems, not people displaced from their homes.
In Monte Plata province, flooding along the Ozama River damaged a crossing connecting Don Juan and Yamasá. Rising rivers also interrupted access to other communities, illustrating how localized infrastructure failures can complicate travel and emergency assistance.
The COE reported no deaths or completely destroyed homes in its October 27 morning Dominican assessment. Those figures are separate from the fatalities and destruction recorded in Haiti.
Dominican authorities expanded weather precautions later on October 27. The COE placed 11 provinces and the National District under yellow alert, with another 11 provinces under green alert, as rainfall continued across the country.
Why Flood Risks Remain After Weather Alerts Are Lifted
A low-pressure trough and humid, unstable atmospheric conditions contributed to the widespread rainfall. The system brought repeated downpours capable of swelling rivers, flooding low-lying communities and triggering landslides.
At 11 a.m. on October 27, Haiti's Hydro-Meteorological Unit (UHM) announced the lifting of orange rainfall alerts in Grand'Anse, Sud, Sud-Est, Nippes and Ouest, along with yellow alerts in Artibonite and Nord-Ouest.
The decision reflected improving meteorological conditions, not the disappearance of all danger. The agency continued forecasting scattered showers, while warning that localized flooding and landslides remained possible in vulnerable areas.
Conditions differed in the Dominican Republic. According to Dominican meteorological and emergency officials, rainfall could continue through October 28 and 29, with a more substantial reduction expected on October 30.
A reduction in rainfall does not immediately remove accumulated floodwater, reopen damaged roads or eliminate risks associated with saturated ground. Residents therefore face different conditions depending on their location and the status of local rivers and infrastructure.
Road Disruptions, Agricultural Losses and Recovery Challenges
Beyond damaged homes, Haiti has reported landslides blocking important routes and rainfall-related agricultural losses. EFE reported that crews reopened the road linking Les Cayes and Jérémie after a landslide near Catiche, while another landslide continued to block the Jérémie–Chambellan road near La Ferme.
Reported agricultural damage included lost livestock and affected bean, banana, corn, squash and yam crops, particularly in Grand'Anse. Such losses can extend the disaster's effects beyond the days of heaviest rainfall by disrupting farming activities and household livelihoods.
The Associated Press also documented the cross-border disruption caused by the storms, including fatalities in Haiti and communities isolated in the Dominican Republic.
The available assessments do not yet establish the final economic cost, the total number of people requiring longer-term accommodation or how quickly damaged infrastructure can be restored.
As of the latest figures reviewed for this October 28 report, Haiti's confirmed provisional death toll remained at least four. Further civil protection assessments may revise casualty and property-damage totals, while changes in rainfall, river levels and road access will determine how quickly affected communities can begin recovering.
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