Saturday, August 30, 2008

Hurricane Gustav is predicted to make landfall on the Gulf Coast, having already caused damage in the Caribbean. The storm may be raised to Category 5 according to some sources.

At 5:00 p.m. (eastern time), the National Hurricane Center stated that Gustav had sustained winds at least 150 miles per hour and was moving Northwest at 15 miles per hour. Watches and warnings have been posted from Eastern Texas all the way to Mississippi. It is scheduled to make landfall somewhere in Louisiana on Tuesday. As of 5pm, Gustav was stronger than the hurricane in 2005 Hurricane Katrina which killed over 1,500 people in Louisiana.

At least 80 people in the Caribbean have died from Gustav’s impact. Gustav is currently hitting Cuba and made landfall near the Isle of Youth. Thousands have been evacuated as rain created widespread flooding in the West.