PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti (CMC) ­­– At least three people have died and three others missing following the torrential rains that have caused widespread damage and flooding over the long Easter weekend, the authorities here have confirmed.

They said that the rains, linked to the passage of a frontal system, lashed the French-speaking Caribbean Community country for the past three days, resulting in the people being killed, three others missing and extensive damage being reported in several departments.

Floods and river overflows have been recorded in the centre, north, north-east and north-west sections of the county.

“I visited the affected families following the flood in Jean-Rabel. On this occasion, I spoke with the city authorities including the mayor, members of the civil protection [and] I asked the prime minister to issue instructions to the ministers of the interior and of social affairs in order to come to the aid of some 60 affected families,” President Jovenel Moïse said after visiting the affected families.

The authorities said that two deaths have been confirmed in the commune of Bois de Lance (north) and three other people are missing in the department. More than 1,270 houses were flooded in the communes of Terrier-Rouge, Caracol and Trou-du-Nord (north-east).

Heavy rains affected several main streets in the city of Cap Haitien and the districts of Blue-Hills, Haut du Cap, Petite Anse, Charrier, Zo-Vincent Cité du Peuple, Fort Saint Michel, Bas-Champin were flooded.

The authorities said that one shelter that has been activated in Cap Haitien houses around 85 people and that the departmental directorates of Civil Protection partially had activated their emergency operations centers.

The Hydrometeorological Unit here is warning people to continue to be prepared as the rains will continue to spread to the rest of the country.