SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — Floodwaters and mudslides spawned by Tropical Storm Noel killed at least 48 people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, officials said Wednesday, raising the death toll as the storm regained force over water and curved toward the Bahamas and Florida.
Hardest-hit by the sluggish storm were the Dominican Republic and Haiti on the island of Hispaniola, where thousands fled their homes and others sought refuge on rooftops.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm's center had emerged over the Atlantic and was regaining force after slogging across Cuba, where little damage was reported.
The forecasters said Noel should bend to the northeast, veering away from a collision with Florida and threatening the Bahamas instead.
At 10 a.m. CDT, Noel's top sustained winds were near 50 mph, up from 40 mph earlier in the day.
It was centered about 175 miles south-southwest of Nassau in the Bahamas and was heading north-northwest near 8 mph.
Read tomorrow's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.
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