Storm in Caribbean leaves 2 people dead

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — A tropical disturbance moved across the western Caribbean on Friday, knocking out power to thousands in Jamaica and causing two deaths in Haiti as it unleashed landslides and floods before dissipating, authorities said.

The disturbance was about 85 miles northeast of Montego Bay, Jamaica, with top winds of 55 mph Friday night. It was moving northeast at 17 mph, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

About 14,000 customers lost power in Jamaica after heavy rains downed trees, severed power lines and caused landslides, according to the Jamaica Public Service Company.

At least 24 people were rescued from floodwaters in the island’s southeastern region, according to the Jamaican Defense Force.

Heavy rains also hit Haiti, where the Civil Protection Agency told The Associated Press late Friday that two people had died after being swept away by floods in the country’s western Grand’Anse region.

The disturbance was expected to move across southeast Cuba during the night and the southeastern Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands today.

Forecasters had said earlier in the day that the disturbance had a chance to become a tropical cyclone, but by Friday night they said that was considered unlikely and it dissipated a few hours later near Cuba’s eastern end.

Up to 16 inches of rain was expected for parts of Jamaica, southeast Cuba, southern Haiti and the Dominican Republic through Sunday.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami warned that heavy rains still posed a threat of flash floods and mudslides over the weekend in southeastern Cuba and the island of Hispaniola, which is shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic.