Tropical Storm Gustav Threatens Hispanola

The Dominican Republic issued a hurricane warning Monday afternoon as a tropical depression rapidly strengthened into Tropical Storm Gustav, the seventh named storm of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season. A hurricane warning is now in effect for the south coast of the Dominican Republic from Santo Domingo to the region of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Both the Dominican Republic and Haiti were battered by Tropical Storm Fay last week.

Tropical Storm Gustav is currently located about 225 miles south-southeast of Port-au-Prince and moving northwest at 14 mph. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, with tropical storm strength winds extending out 50 miles, and is expected to grow stronger in the next 24 hours. Forecasters say the storm could arrive over southwestern Haiti by Tuesday. Heavy rains are expected, and storms of this nature usually trigger deadly flooding and landslides in Haiti.

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