Login | Register | Subscribe to the GG RSS Feed

Tropical Storm Gustav Takes Charge - Update

1
2
3
4
5
Julia Rosien | 08/25/2008 - 17:22 | Add new comment

Hurricanes season is here, in case you hadn't noticed...

Read where forecasters expect Gustav to head next: Gustav Following in Katrina's Path (updated August, 28, 2008)

Hurricane season may have had a sluggish start, but Mother Nature is wide awake now and in her full hurricane regalia. Last week Tropical Storm Fay saturated Florida. This week, Gustav is charting a path towards Haiti, Cuba, the Bahamas and possibly Florida.

Haiti has issued storm warnings and is preparing for a worst case scenario. Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital and home for 3 million people is in the direct path of the eye of the storm. While Gustav is still a tropical storm (it hasn't been upgraded to a hurricane) it can still cause significant damage, according to Reuters:

"Haiti is vulnerable to devastating floods because hillsides have been stripped of trees by people desperate for charcoal to be used as cooking fuel. In 2004, Tropical Storm Jeanne was blamed for flooding that killed some 3,000 people."

Forecasters are predicting Gustav will hit Haiti, storm through Cuba and then move onto the Bahamas and Florida. But the computer models predict it will move south to Jamaica and then the Yucatan peninsula. It's obviously not an exact science, so if you're traveling in the area you'll have to apply a little bit of gut instinct to the formula.

I dodged a hurricane once when visiting Jamaica a few years ago. My plane took off from the island a full 24 hours before it hit. In retrospect, I feel like I dodged a bullet - a huge one. I can't imagine being trapped in an airport - or worse our seaside hotel - weathering out winds that bring down buildings and toss cars around like dinky toys.

Have you ever been caught in a tropical storm or hurricane while traveling? If you're accustomed to this kind of weather at home, panic isn't likely your first move. But if you've never had to live out a hurricane in a basement, I'm guessing you'd want to get out of Dodge quickly.

If you're traveling to the Caribbean this week, these resources may come in handy:

Related Stories

Hurricane Fay - Hype or Hurricane?
Top 10 Adventure Vacations
Amelia Island Plantation Inn & Spa
Hotel Safety with Kathleen Ameche
Volunteer Vacations
7 New Airline Websites We Love

Rate This Post

No votes yet

Bookmark This Post

  • Delicious
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Magnoliacom
  • Newsvine
  • Furl
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Yahoo
  • Technorati

Comments

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Image CAPTCHA
Copy the characters (respecting upper/lower case) from the image.
Register

Membership is free and with it you can set up a profile, vote on stories and post your opinions.

Already a member?
Login
Not a member? Join!
Register

Most Recent Comments

  • On Flying the Online Skies for the Best Travel Advice, Hotel Santa Barbara said "Thanks for giving us such great information constantly. It is awesome to have such a great travel resource like you!"

  • On Surviving a Hurricane While Traveling, HSB said "I am a little concerned about this situation, as we are traveling to Florida in October and boarding a cruise to the Bahamas. I'll be bookmarking this page!"

  • On Surviving a Hurricane While Traveling, Julia Rosien said "Thanks for visiting Lisa and for such great advice! Hope that Earl doesn't linger and cause any trouble. Good luck! Julia"

  • On Surviving a Hurricane While Traveling, Lisa S. said "Growing up in good ole NC, I have survived my share of storms. Actually, where I sit currently (on a barrier island) has been under water many times. Staying on an island is scary. We leave if it is over a CAT 1. The most important thing for us is to fill our gas tanks at the first inkling that there may be a storm. Water, medicines, non perishable food, they're all really important. Honestly, if it is a big storm, alcohol later serves as pay for work. We stock up on EVERYTHING. We start eating out of the freezer days before (like we did tonight, getting ready for Earl). You don't want much to go bad. Then we tie up all the trash cans, secure grills, and hold on for dear life :)"

  • On American Tourist Kidnappings on the Rise in Mexico, Roger said "Better not to drive if you can travel by bus. Buses are not apt to be targets like cars with US plates that also can be stolen. The buses in Mexico are very comfortable like flying in a plane they often have movies and it is safer.Plan your trip and don't travel alone especially if you are female.Women traveling alone are a target Good luck and stay alert."