In brief: Storms trigger floods in Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – In a deadly start to the Atlantic hurricane season, at least 23 people are dead in earthquake-ravaged Haiti after pelting rain carved paths of destruction across much of this still broken capital late Monday and Tuesday.

The rains triggered flashfloods and mudslides, causing roofs to collapse and debris to be dumped on roads that became rivers of mud. The storm was the worst yet after 10 consecutive days of steady showers.

The deaths and destruction came just a week into the official start of hurricane season, underscoring how vulnerable Haiti remains both from stormy weather and a deadly cholera outbreak that has so far left more than 5,300 dead and thousands hospitalized in recent weeks.

In Port-au-Prince, several dozen people had to be evacuated by U.N. peacekeepers after their squalid tent encampment became flooded. And in the town of Gressier, south of the capital and near the city of Leogane, residents were forced to take refuge on rooftops after flood waters engulfed the community, according to civil protection authorities.

Gunmen kill 11 in rehab center

DURANGO, Mexico – Mexican authorities say two gunmen attacked a drug rehabilitation center in the northern city of Torreon, killing 11 people and wounding two.

The Attorney General’s Office in Coahuila state says the attackers stormed into the center Tuesday afternoon and opened fire. The condition of the two hospitalized victims has not been released.

Drug cartels are known to use rehab centers to recruit addicts and rival gangs sometimes attack. Dozens of people have died in shootings at centers across Mexico. The worst incident left 19 people dead in Chihuahua city last summer.

Adrian first storm of hurricane season

MIAMI – Forecasters said Tropical Storm Adrian has formed far out in the Eastern Pacific, making it the first named storm of the 2011 hurricane season.

No coastal watches or warnings have been issued. Maximum winds around the center of the storm late Tuesday were about 45 mph. Forecasters said the storm is likely to strengthen.

The center of the storm is about 355 miles south of Acapulco, Mexico. It is barely moving west-northwest direction. That is expected to continue for the next couple of days.