Hurricane Gustav wreaks havoc in Haiti

~~Adz:Right~~  Port-au-Prince, Haiti- DISASTER response officials in Haiti are still assessing the infrastructural damage caused to the impoverished island after Hurricane Gustav made landfall over its southwest peninsula at about 1 p.m. on Tuesday (Aug. 26).

So far the storm’s death toll is approximated to be at 2 as persons are still considered missing. The storm ripped up electricity poles, roofs and fences and caused extensive flooding across the country.

Gustav was the seventh named storm of the Atlantic Hurricane Season and although it has now weakened to Tropical Storm strength, it reached the strength of a Category One hurricane when it ravaged Haiti.

The island had not yet recovered from the devastation of Hurricane Fay which left a wake of damage and destruction estimated to be in the millions of dollars and a death toll of approximately 14 after it pummelled Haiti last week.

The two deaths associated with Gustav were reportedly caused by a mudslide in the southern region of that country, which incidentally also left several persons injured.

The Miami based National Hurricane Centre informed that the centre of a weakened Hurricane Gustav was located at 90 miles West of Haiti’s capital at 8 a.m. Tuesday and the storm will be travelling in a West-North-Westerly direction over the next day or two. It is expected to increase in speed and forward motion before passing between Jamaica and the South-East coast of Cuba on Thursday.