PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI – October 25, 2026 – Haiti’s national civil protection authorities have activated tiered weather emergency alerts across seven of the country’s administrative departments as slow-moving low-pressure systems over the Caribbean Sea threaten to unleash hazardous weather conditions in the coming hours. In a joint announcement released at 2:20 p.m. local time on Sunday, the General Directorate of Civil Protection (DGDPC) and the Permanent Secretariat for Risk and Disaster Management (SPGRD) designated the West, Grand’Anse, Nippes, South, and South-East departments at Orange Alert status, a level signaling high probability of life-threatening weather-related hazards. Two additional departments, Nord-Ouest and Artibonite, have been placed under the lower Yellow Alert classification, which denotes elevated risk of disruptive weather impacts. The coordinated alert activation comes after meteorological monitoring confirmed the low-pressure systems are generating sustained heavy downpours and gusty crosswinds across southern coastal zones of the country. Forecasters warn that accumulated rainfall could rapidly overwhelm drainage systems, triggering widespread urban and rural flooding, steep-terrain landslides, sudden rockfalls, and dangerously rough, choppy sea conditions along affected shorelines. Local meteorological stations have already recorded significant rainfall totals in multiple municipalities across the alerted zones in the 24 hours leading up to the announcement, raising immediate concerns for vulnerable communities. Civil protection officials have rolled out a clear set of actionable safety protocols for all residents, with targeted guidance for populations living in high-exposure zones. Members of the public are advised to rely exclusively on official government and civil protection weather updates to avoid acting on unsubstantiated rumors circulating across social media and informal communication channels. Households situated near ravines, flash flood-prone streams, and low-lying coastal areas are being urged to pre-emptively relocate to designated temporary shelters or stay with family and friends in higher elevation, low-risk neighborhoods. Residents in hilly and mountainous areas with a documented history of mudslides are instructed to pre-coordinate evacuation plans with household members and local community leaders to enable a fast, organized response if emergency orders are issued. Property owners are also reminded to secure all loose outdoor items including trash receptacles, construction tools, commercial signage, and exterior decorative lighting to prevent wind-blown debris that could cause injury or property damage. Mariners and small craft operators are directed to move all vessels, including fishing canoes and small motorboats, well inland from the shoreline and anchor them securely to avoid loss or damage from storm surges and rough surf. Civil protection authorities have additionally called on Haitian communities to practice collective solidarity, checking in on elderly residents, people living with disabilities, and young children in their neighborhoods to ensure they have access to the resources and support needed to stay safe through the adverse weather event.