Gustav Battered Caribbean Islands. 17 deaths on Hispaniola. Winds back to 73 mph tropical storm, but expected to increase over warm Gulf Waters to Cat 3 hurricane, or higher. Gulf oil producers threatened.
“There is nothing in Gustav's path that will hinder development.
There is a strong probability that it will be a Category 3 storm by the time
it enters the Gulf, and it has the potential to strengthen into a Category 4 or 5
storm over the Gulf.” - AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist, John Kocet
5-
day-path projection on left shows Gustav could make landfall near the Texas and Louisiana border west of New Orleans, crushed by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005. Oil producers are now worried about their oil platforms, shown in map on right, and oil prices spiked higher on fears of destruction. Maps © 2008 by AccuWeather. AccuWeather: “Oil, natural gas and gasoline prices climbed today as traders worried that Tropical Storm Gustav will become a major hurricane (Cat 3 or higher) before reaching the oil production areas in the Gulf of Mexico. Computer models show Gustav heading for the U.S. Gulf Coast, arriving anywhere from western Florida -- already waterlogged from last week's Tropical Storm Fay -- to Louisiana, where cleanup and repair efforts are still ongoing three years after Hurricane Katrina. Katrina killed more than 1,800 people when it slammed into the Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, flattening towns on the Mississippi coast and flooding portions of New Orleans. In Baton Rouge, Louisiana, authorities warned residents to keep an eye on Gustav and prepare for a major storm.”