Gustav torments Caribbean

MIAMI – Tropical Storm Gustav whipped Jamaica with fierce rain and wind Thursday and threatened to grow back into a hurricane before striking the Cayman Islands today.

No fatalities were reported in Jamaica, but the death toll continued to mount throughout Gustav’s wake in Hispaniola, with Haitian officials confirming at least 51 deaths.

And in case one wasn’t enough, another tropical storm – the eighth of the 2008 Atlantic hurricane season – is spinning about 1,400 miles east-southeast of Miami.

Tropical Storm Hanna could strengthen into a hurricane by Labor Day, but it likely wouldn’t threaten the U.S. coast until later next week, if at all.

Meanwhile, Gustav’s winds increased to 70 mph from 45 mph, and the storm made landfall at near-hurricane strength Thursday afternoon on Jamaica’s eastern shore. The government ordered evacuations for people in low-lying and flood-prone areas as the weather service said Gustav could dump more than a foot of rain before clearing out of the country early today.

Montego Bay, a usually bustling tourist haven on the country’s northwest coast, turned into a virtual ghost town, with no one on the streets and businesses shuttered as rain poured down and strong winds set in.

Officials in the Cayman Islands prepared for Gustav’s arrival today by prohibiting visitors from entering until after the storm passes.

Gustav’s trail of destruction became larger as officials reported 51 deaths in Haiti and eight in the Dominican Republic, and disaster-relief workers struggled to reach people in badly flooded villages.