Tropical Depression Threatens Haiti With Rain And Mudslides After Earthquake Killed Over 1,200

A tropical depression potentially delivering up to 15 inches of rain and mudslides is threatening Haiti after a massive earthquake on Saturday killed over 1,200 people.

Tropical depression Grace was headed toward the southern coast of Haiti early Monday, bringing 35-mile-per-hour winds, according to the National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center.

The storm is expected to bring flash flooding and mudslides to Haiti Monday and Tuesday, after the country witnessed a 7.2 magnitude earthquake Saturday that killed over 1,200 people and injured 5,700, according to CNN. The quake destroyed 13,694 homes and damaged another 13,785, according to official data.

“The main threat in those areas is probably going to be flash flooding and mudslides,” Weather.com meteorologist Chris Dolce said on Sunday. This could cause further damage to buildings and prolong rescue efforts for those affected by the earthquake, The Weather Channel said.

“I am worried about the upcoming storm as it can complicate the situation for us,” Jerry Chandler, head of Haiti’s civil protection agency, said on Sunday, according to CNN.

Haiti ranks as one of the countries in the world most vulnerable to natural disasters, according to a report by the U.N.-affiliated humanitarian information service ReliefWeb. In the last 35 years, 76 natural disasters affected the country.