Adding to their anxiety, recent rains have swept acres of topsoil off the denuded hills, with the prospect of more rain as the wet season approaches.

Here they watched for the enemy to emerge, crossing one of the openings below this denuded hill, on the way to ambush American forces.

The denuded hills were eroding, the arable land below was washing away, the springs that were the only source of drinking water were choking.

Flowers and greenery were blown away, leaving a barren landscape, with only tree trunks protruding from denuded hills, Mr. Pagoada said.

Damage was heavier in Haiti than elsewhere along Gordon's track due to poor infrastructure consisting of shacks on flood-prone denuded hills.

The $3 billion spent by the United States during those years has washed away like the soil on Haiti's denuded hills.

The buildings flowed over the denuded hills and down, past us, to the Sea, there to sprout into docks and harbors.

Against the sunset sky fairly large building, of an ominously dark color, could be seen perched atop a denuded hill at a distance of two or three kilometers from the village.

On the way there we passed patchworks of farms chiseled into denuded hills, inhabited by droopy-eyed sheep, frolicking lambs and grumpy cows.

Although in most senses he enjoyed being there, to the denuded hills and the blackened crofts of neglected Dalriada, it also gave him cause for concern.