Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. Haiti on Red Alert After Tropical Storm Laura Floods Towns, Killing at Least 5 Sandra Lemaire WASHINGTON/RIVIERE FROIDE, HAITI - Five people are dead in Haiti's southeast and west departments, presidential press secretary Eddy Jackson Alexis announced Sunday after Tropical Storm Laura hit the country with an estimated 200 mm (8 inches) rain and maximum sustained winds of up to 85 kph. The president and all the members of his government presented their condolences to the victims' families, Alexis tweeted. 5 moun deja mouri pandan pasaj tanpèt twopikal [1]#TTLaura nan depatman Sidès ak Lwès peyi a. Chèf Leta a ansanm ak tout Gouvènman an prezante senpati yo a fanmi viktim yo. Alèt wouj la toujou kenbe sou tout peyi a. [2]@Pwoteksyonsivil [3]pic.twitter.com/O5LTQ16m64 -- Communication Haïti (@MCHaiti) [4]August 23, 2020 The press secretary said the death toll is still being assessed and that among the victims were a 10-year-old girl, a woman who was swept away by flood waters and a man who was found dead in the Bicentenaire neighborhood of the capital, Port-au-Prince, near the national palace. In an earlier tweet Sunday, the press secretary said the Peligre Dam, a flood-controlling and energy generating hydroelectric plant in the Artibonite River valley in Haiti's lush agricultural sector, had flooded and was subsequently opened. 5 moun deja mouri pandan pasaj tanpet twopikal [5]#Laura nan depatman Sidès ak Lwès peyi a. Baraj Pelig la ranpli. Otorite yo blije lage dlo a. Moun nan Latibonit atansyon pral gen anpil dlo nan vale a. ALÃT WOUJ la toujou kenbe sou tout teritwa nasyonal la.[6]@Pwoteksyonsivil [7]#COUN -- Eddy Jackson Alexis (@Eddyjalexis) [8]August 23, 2020 "Residents of the Artibonite region, stay alert, there will be flooding in the valley. The Red Alert is still in effect for the entire country," Alexis warned. In Riviere Froide, in the southeastern Nippes Department, residents told VOA Creole they fear for their lives as the river threatens homes and businesses near its banks. "We are in grave danger because when this river overflows it causes major problems. There are people who have children who need to evacuate but they don't have the resources to do that," a man who stood on the bank of the overflowing, muddy river told VOA. He urged the government to send help immediately. Another male resident told VOA many of the homes on the bank of the river have multiple people living in them and that the river also swept away livestock. "The river is a big threat to the people living near it (now)," he said. Video recorded by VOA Creole shows river waters sweeping away parts of makeshift, tin-roof homes. Some people are seen standing seemingly helpless on the front porch of their homes as the river creeps closer and closer. Other residents attempt to salvage property as people standing on the opposite side of the riverbank shout at them to watch out. In the background a woman screams. References 1. https://twitter.com/hashtag/TTLaura?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw 2. https://twitter.com/Pwoteksyonsivil?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw 3. https://t.co/O5LTQ16m64 4. https://twitter.com/MCHaiti/status/1297596359508406273?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw 5. https://twitter.com/hashtag/Laura?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw 6. https://twitter.com/Pwoteksyonsivil?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw 7. https://twitter.com/hashtag/COUN?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw 8. https://twitter.com/Eddyjalexis/status/1297595800927830021?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw .