http://www.wdsu.com/news/17299534/detai ... 0308262008
NEW ORLEANS -- Louisiana officials and residents cast a wary eye on the Caribbean Sea as Tropical Storm Gustav strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane.
Track The Hurricane Forecast: Tracking Gustav
At 11 a.m., the center of Gustav was located near latitude 17.9 north, longitude 72.4 west, or about 50 miles south of Port au Prince, Haiti.
Gustav is moving toward the northwest at 9 mph. A gradual turn to the west-northwest and a decrease in forward speed is expected later on Tuesday, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.
Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 90 mph, with higher gusts. Gustav is a Category 1 hurricane and some strengthening is possible before making landfall in Haiti, with some weakening likely while the storm is over land, forecasters said. The storm could gain strength before approaching eastern Cuba on Wednesday.
Hurricane-force winds extend outward up to 25 miles, and tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles from the center.
Gustav is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of 4 to 7 inches over southern Hispaniola and Jamaica, with isolated maximum amounts of up to 15 inches possible. The intense rains may produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides.
Coastal storm surge flooding of 2 to 4 feet above normal tide levels can be expected near and to the east of where the center makes landfall.
