Hurricane Gustav Pummels Haiti

27 August 2008

Hurricane Gustav has moved into southwestern Haiti, battering the country with heavy rains and strong winds of about 150 kilometers per hour.

The storm - which is the seventh of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season - came ashore Tuesday just west of the city of Jacmel and was expected to lose strength while moving over land. Weather forecasters, however, expect Gustav to regain force once it moves over open water and approaches eastern Cuba.

At last report, Gustav was 95 kilometers west of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince and 290 kilometers southeast of Guantanamo, Cuba. A hurricane warning is in effect for that Cuban province as well as the provinces of Santiago de Cuba and Granma.

Similar warnings are also in effect for parts of the neighboring Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. Forecasters warn the storm could dump up to half a meter of rain in parts of Hispaniola, causing dangerous flash floods and mudslides.

Severe weather is also expected in Jamaica.

Forecasters expect Gustav to reach the Gulf of Mexico by Sunday, possibly with winds of 180 kilometers per hour.

Concerns that the storm could become even stronger and threaten energy facilities in the Gulf sent oil prices higher Tuesday. Oil company Royal Dutch Shell says it will begin evacuating some workers from offshore rigs as early as Wednesday.