Haitians in Ottawa fear for relatives in Hurricane Irma's path

As Hurricane Irma carves its destructive path through the Caribbean, Haitians in Ottawa say they can do little but pray their relatives make it through the deadly storm.

"We feel powerless about what's happening. We can't do anything," Patrick Auguste told CBC News.

Auguste is the executive director of Ottawa's Association culturelle de la jeunesse haïtienne de demain.

For weeks, the organization has been helping Haitian asylum-seekers find their footing in Ottawa. But Auguste says both his colleagues and his clients are now bracing to see what Hurricane Irma has in store for relatives back home.

"Even if we've experienced this from hurricanes before, this one looks like it's stronger," he said. "We're really scared about what can happen."

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The most intense Atlantic Ocean hurricane in recorded history, Hurricane Irma and its 300 kilometres per hour winds are now bearing down on Haiti's north coast.

Already, the deadly Category 5 storm has reduced entire islands to rubble. According to France's Minister of the Interior, eight people died and another 23 were injured as the hurricane ripped through the French Caribbean territories of St. Martin and St. Barthelemy.

Although hurricane experts expect Haiti will be spared a direct hit, heavy rains and high surf could trigger dangerous floods in the impoverished country, still rebuilding from a devastating earthquake in 2010 and last year's Hurricane Matthew.

Haitian government issues 'red alert'

Haiti's ambassador to Canada, Frantz Liautaud, has been tracking the storm from the Haitian embassy in Ottawa, poring over satellite images of the hurricane as it approaches his home country.

"I think all Haitians are watching this with justified apprehension," he told CBC News in French.

Liautaud, who has family and friends in Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haïtien, said he hoped all Haitians back home will heed warnings from their government, which issued a country-wide red alert Wednesday.

It is unknown how many people have already left the areas most at risk.

Liautaud said he's confident that Haitians across Canada will rally together to help their family and friends back home.

"We've been on the front line of the news for almost two months," Liautaud said, referring to the thousands of Haitians who have crossed into Canada from the United States to seek asylum.

"I've witnessed a Haitian community that is really close to each other and that's starting to work as a group to assist Haitians in difficulties," he said. "I expect that the same sentiment is going to be revived."

Nothing to do but 'wait and pray'

Auguste said he has been in constant communication with members of his family living in Haiti and in Florida: both expect to be hit hard by Irma.

His brother and sister in Florida have been preparing for the storm to make landfall, stocking up on supplies and barricading their doors and windows.

But Auguste said he's especially worried about his brothers still in Haiti.

"They're with their family now, trying to make their house stronger, and just wait and pray," he said. "There isn't really anything else they can do."

"People really don't have anything to protect themselves with, and the government can barely protect the population," he added.

Auguste said he takes comfort in knowing that Haitian communities across Canada will come together to help those back home.

"We are Canadians. We are Haitian also," he said. "We have a special responsibility to help Haiti in a good way, because it's important to us. We know that country. I think we know better than anyone else what has to be done."