Hurricane Gustav heads toward Haiti, takes aim at U.S. Gulf Coast

[gldstwmn]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/webs...ane-gusta.html

Hurricane Gustav is expected to make landfall today in Haiti before heading toward Cuba and potentially taking aim at states along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Hurricane Gustav topped Google Hot Trends today with related results (Tropical Storm Gustav, Hurricane Gustav projected path) found throughout the Top 100 most searched terms.

With current maximum sustained winds of 85 mph, Gustav could develop into a Category 2 hurricane later today and a “major” Category 3 or 4 storm by the end of the week, according to AccuWeather forecasters.

Forecasters warned Gustav's eye could pass near the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince, home to nearly 3 million people.

To avoid the storm, Carnival Cruise Lines diverted one of its ships today to a Mexican port instead of Montego Bay, Jamaica.

Crude oil prices rose today as Hurricane Gustav threatened major oil operations in the Gulf of Mexico, home to more than a fifth of U.S. oil production.