Tropical depression in Caribbean douses Haiti

MIAMI, Oct 28 (Reuters) - The 16th tropical depression of the 2007 Atlantic hurricane season brought heavy rains to Haiti and the Dominican Republic on Sunday after forming in the Caribbean, U.S. forecasters said.

The depression was on the verge of becoming a tropical storm, with top sustained winds of 39 miles per hour (63 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. It would be called Tropical Storm Noel once it reached storm strength.

Most computer models used to predict storm tracks did not forecast that the system would reach hurricane strength as it passed to the south of the island of Hispaniola, shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and headed toward Cuba.

The Miami-based hurricane center said it was expected to take a sharp turn to the northeast after passing over Cuba and to move over the islands of the Bahamas and out into the Atlantic. That would mean critical U.S. oil and gas facilities in the Gulf of Mexico would not be affected.

By 11 a.m. EDT (1500 GMT), the depression was located around 145 miles (235 km) south of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince and moving west-northwest at 6 mph (10 kph).

"Even though the center of the depression could pass south of Hispaniola, heavy rains to the north and east of the center will pass over the Dominican Republic and Haiti during the next 24 to 36 hours," the hurricane center said.

Tropical storms do not pose much of a threat to developed countries, but their rains can be life-threatening in poor areas. Haiti in particular is vulnerable to deadly flash floods and mudslides because most of its forests have been chopped down to make charcoal.

The hurricane center said rainfall amounts of 8 inches to 12 inches (20 cm to 30 cm) -- and isolated downpours of up to 20 inches (51 cm) -- could be expected over parts of Hispaniola, southeast Cuba and Jamaica.

The six-month hurricane season runs until the end of November.