Hurricane Melissa leaves Haitian community of Petit-Goâve struggling to recover

More than a week after Hurricane Melissa struck Haiti, residents of Petit-Goâve are still struggling to rebuild after losing lives and property.

The storm damaged more than 160 homes and destroyed 80 others in the southwestern coastal town, where 10 of the 20 people killed were children.

Families were trapped in their homes when the La Dique River overflowed in the middle of the night on Oct. 29, flooding the town with mud and debris that buried houses.

James Creve-Coeur is working to dry and clean his home. He points to the window he jumped through to escape the landslide.

“You can see all the damage that happened. Everything we had is gone — our business, our bank accounts, our animals, our clothes, our beds,” he said.

Today, the La Dique River is nearly dry as residents make their way through wet, muddy streets.

Aid organizations say reaching the town remains difficult, with gangs blocking roads and setting up checkpoints between the capital, Port-au-Prince, and Petit-Goâve.

Transporting people and goods now requires boat trips that can take more than seven hours.

For now, neighbors are helping each other find necessities and places to sleep, with some hosting several displaced families in their small apartments.