Southern Haiti mourns its own as it staggers from Hurricane Melissa's blow

Petit-Goâve, Haiti — Many in Petit-Goâve were asleep when La Digue river began to rise after midnight.

By the time residents in the southern coastal town realized what was happening, it was too late. The river had burst its banks and swept away children, cars and homes as the outer bands of Hurricane Melissa lashed southern Haiti in late October.

One man escaped through a window while a woman grabbed onto a car and held her son tight to avoid being dragged by floodwaters that severely broke her leg.

They survived, but the Category 5 hurricane, one of the strongest Atlantic storms in recorded history, killed at least 43 people in Haiti. More than a dozen others remain missing.

Most of the deaths occurred in Petit-Goâve, where the community mourned their own on Saturday.

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