Nightly News   |  November 03, 2010

Storm threat raises red flags in Haiti

Fearing widespread damage and loss of life as Haiti braces for another disaster, relief agencies are stockpiling supplies and urging residents to protect their possessions from the deluge Tropical Storm Tomas is expected to deliver. NBC's Mark Potter reports.

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>>> we mentioned we're watching a potentially serious situation tonight. the progress of tropical storm tomas as it bears down on haiti . forkers say it can reach hurricane strength once again as it nears haiti in the next 24 to 48 hours . even at a tropical storm , the impact of mas could be devastating. our mark potter is in port-au-prince for us tonight.

>> reporter: at a tent city for 10,000 people jammed together in port-au-prince, relief workers raised a red flag today, signaling imminent danger. they warned residents to take the storm seriously, and in visits door to door , urged families to secure their tents and protect their possessions from what they fear will be a deluge of rain at the very least.

>> this doesn't have to hit haiti as a hurricane or tropical storm to be catastrophic. our concern is rain.

>> reporter: the biggest concern is that mudslides will threaten villages throughout the country, just ten months after the massive earthquake here killed 300,000 people. with an estimated 1.3 million haitians living under tarps and tenting after the earthquake, the fact is most of these people here have nowhere else to go to get away from the storm. this is where they'll ride it out. health officials also fear the storm will worsen the cholera epidemic, which so far has killed more than 300 haitians and hospitalized nearly 5,000. cholera is spread by contaminated water.

>> it seems so cruel after everything haiti has been through that they should be facing this.

>> reporter: the united states is deploying the uss iwo jima . haiti braces for yet another disaster. mark potter , nbc news, port-au-prince.