CBCnews.ca: Residents and tourists alike fled Jamaica as a strengthening tropical storm Gustav lurched toward the island late Thursday after triggering floods and landslides that killed at least 67 people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic on the island of Hispaniola.
Thursday night, Gustav was 55 kilometres off Jamaica but already lashing the island with tropical storm-force winds.
Dozens of roofs were ripped from houses, trees were toppled and many roads were left impassable by floodwaters and debris.
Forecasters said parts of Jamaica could get 635 millimetres 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.
The storm is expected to pick up more strength from the warm waters south of Cuba and hug Jamaica's southern shore before making an almost direct hit on the Caymans by late Friday, likely as a strong Category 1 hurricane.
At least 59 people died in Haiti 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.
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clipped from www.cbc.ca
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