Huricane Gustav has passed over Jamaica during the last 24 hours. You might cut them a little slack.
Gustav pounds Jamaica, as death toll rises.
MSNBC staff and news service reports
updated
7:51 p.m. CT, Thurs., Aug. 28, 2008<SCRIPT language=javascript> function UpdateTimeStamp(pdt) { var n = document.getElementById("udtD"); if(pdt != '' && n && window.DateTime) { var dt = new DateTime(); pdt = dt.T2D(pdt); if(dt.GetTZ(pdt)) {n.innerHTML = dt.D2S(pdt,((''.toLowerCase()=='false')?false:true));** ** ** UpdateTimeStamp('633555714600930000');</SCRIPT>
KINGSTON, Jamaica - Nearly a hurricane, Tropical Storm Gustav swamped Jamaica on Thursday after pounding other parts of the Caribbean and leaving at least 67 people dead in its wake. Louisiana and Texas put their national guards on standby, and New Orleans said a mandatory evacuation might be necessary.
Haiti officials on Thursday said at least 51 people had died from floods, mudslides and falling trees, including 25 around the city of Jacmel, where Gustav first struck land Tuesday.
Eight more people were buried when a cliff gave way in the Dominican Republic. A mother died clutching her 11-month-old and five more of her children were smothered in the wreckage beside her.
In Jamaica, dozens of roofs were ripped from houses by early Thursday evening, trees were toppled and many roads were left impassable by floodwaters and debris.
At 8 p.m. ET, the center of Gustav was 15 miles off Jamaica and lashing the island with winds around 70 mph, just 4 mph short of hurricane strength. Forecasters said it could grow to a hurricane before hitting the low-lying capital of Kingston on Thursday night.
Grand Cayman issued a hurricane warning and braced for a possible strike a day later.
Even as tourists searched for flights off the islands, officials urged calm. Theresa Foster, one of the owners of the Grand Caymanian Resort, said Gustav didn't look as threatening as Hurricane Ivan, which destroyed 70 percent of Grand Cayman's buildings four years ago.
"Whatever was going to blow away has already blown away," she said.
Forecasters said parts of Jamaica could get 25 inches of rain, which could trigger landslides and cause serious crop damage. Authorities told fisherman to stay ashore, and hotel workers secured beach umbrellas in the resort city of Montego Bay.
Main airport closes
Jamaica ordered residents to evacuate low-lying areas including Portmore, a crowded and flood-prone area outside Kingston, and move into shelters. Kingston's main airport was closed and buses stopped running even as people streamed into supermarkets for emergency supplies.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26367291/