Haitian President Rene Preval has called the damage done by the 2008 hurricane season to date as a "catastrophe".

This season could prove to be more destructive than 2004 when storms killed 2,000 people across Haiti.

At least 61 people have died as a result of Hanna's heavy rains so far.

The death toll cause by Hurricane Gustav last week had been 77 deaths.

In the worst-hit northern city of Gonaives, United Nations helicopters started rescuing people who'd been left for two days stranded on their rooftops.

Western Caribbean impact

In Haiti's neighbour on the island of Hispaniola, the Dominican Republic, more than 6,000 people had been evacuated from low-lying areas .

Manuel Mendez, the Director of Emergency Services, told reporters that people living close to rivers or streams and in communities where the sea comes in, should be evacuated without any type of argument.

Further north, in the Bahamas, Hanna on Wednesday knocked out power on some of the southern islands.

The country's National Security minister Tommy Turnquest cancelled all leave for soldiers.

He said he needed to have the Bahamas Royal defence Force on standby for disaster response.

The Miami-based National Hurricane centre on Thursday morning described Hanna as "sprawling".

Cuba rebuilds

In Cuba, rebuilding was getting underway after the damage done by Hurricane Gustav last week.

Russian planes with construction supplies arrived, bulldozers started the clean-up operation, and debris was being removed from roads.

Police morale

Antigua and Barbuda's new acting Police commissioner Tom Bennet has put restoring public confidence and repairing police morale at the top of his to-do list.

The Canadian-born Bennet replaced compatriot Gary Nelson on Monday.

Bennet said that morale among his police officers would be a major priority following the sudden dismissal of his predecessor.

Nelson was dismissed at the weekend by the Antigua and Barbuda Police Service Commission.

Bennet said that "morale has dipped" among the rank and file in the police force after the government terminated commissioner Nelson for unsatisfactory performance.

Mr Bennett, who like his former boss was contracted in March to reform the Police force, said that the Antiguan and Barbudian public can rest assured that he will be working to ensure their safety and security following a spike in crime and violence over the last few months.

He also said that he would be collaborating with the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force in his efforts to bring the criminals to justice.