Gustav became more disorganized today after lashing Haiti and the Dominican Republic Tuesday. Its winds have been reduced in half and as of 7 pm tonight, it's just over tropical storm strength at 45 mph. However, it is over the warm water of the Cayman Trench, a body of water between Cuba and Jamaica so it will likely strengthen over the next few days and become a hurricane once again. In fact, looking at the path of the storm, it is quite ragged over Haiti turning north for a while and then taking a sharp left (west) turn.

Computer models vary on the destination of the storm. Some take it south of Cuba, some push it all the way west toward the Yucatan Peninsula. There's even on model that weakens the storm altogether. Nevertheless, the official forecast from the hurricane center shows that Gustav will enter the Gulf of Mexico sometime this weekend as a Category 3 hurricane with the Louisiana part of the Gulf coast as its likely target. Since it took so long to cross Haiti, the timetable has been pushed out for a possible landfall. As long as it stays east of us, our Labor Day Holiday won't be affected.

1 Comments

Paul Knapp said:

You guys have let me down. I know it is a holiday weekend but, on the Gulf Coast, that matters not at all when a hurricane is in the Gulf, whether or not it is a major hurricane. Of course, this one is MAJOR so we really need up-to-date info. No weather casts. No updated HD channel weather. No updated info at 5:30 on Labor Day Saturday, with a Cat 4 in the Gulf. However, today is a SEVEN! Whopee.

You sucked, this time. My dependable source dried up.

Go do another Norman number. I need information about a major hurricane.....

Paul Knapp
Former loyal KHOU weather dependent

August 30, 2008 5:41 PM

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