At least 20 municipalities in the country have been affected by heavy rains affecting the Caribbean island. | Photo: EFE

Port-au-Prince, February 3 (RHC)-- The recent rains and floods in Haiti have left at least four dead and one missing, according to the director of Civil Protection of the Caribbean country.

The head of the Haitian security and rescue corps, Jerry Chandler indicated that the fatalities were reported in the North West department.  Chandler informed international media and agencies that 20 municipalities in the country have been affected by the heavy rains affecting the Caribbean island.

As for the missing person, the head of the rescue agency noted that the same was also reported in the Northwestern department.  Authorities said on Monday that more than 2,500 houses are flooded and three totally destroyed because of the floods.

The city of Cap-Haïtien, the country's second city and home to 300,000 people, has been particularly affected by the rains.   The difficulties of displacement "have not yet allowed an assessment of the damage," said Civil Protection in its latest report on the situation. 

Several departments of the Caribbean nation were affected by a frontal system that crossed the neighboring Dominican Republic and left heavy rainfall last Sunday and this Monday, especially in the North, Northeast and Nippes, according to the partial balance of the institution.