Gustav Kills 11, Weakens

Thousands fled their homes as Hurricane Gustav triggered flooding and landslides that killed at least 11 people in the Dominican Republic and Haiti before weakening to a tropical storm, but forecasters said today that he still represents a major threat to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. They suggested the storm could head toward the US Gulf Coast as a dangerous Category 3 hurricane next week—with a likely forecast track pointing toward Louisiana.

Gustav's maximum sustained winds were near 60mph this morning, with higher gusts. The storm was centered about 90 miles west of Port-au-Prince and was moving northwest at 5mph. It was expected to continue moving west-northwest. Forecasters project 120mph winds by this weekend, and Cuban officials have begun relocating people in low-lying areas.
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