PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CBS\AP) -- Forecasters say Gustav has weakened to a tropical storm over Haiti.
The National Hurricane Center says the storm's maximum sustained winds dropped from hurricane-strength to 70 mph late Tuesday. But the storm's expected to get stronger later this week.
The center says the storm could become a Category 2 hurricane Thursday, with winds of 96 mph or higher, on its expected path between Cuba and Jamaica.
At 11 p.m. EDT, the storm's center was about 85 miles west of Port au Prince, Haiti. The storm was moving west-northwest near 8 mph.
Earlier Tuesday, Hurricane Gustav dumped torrential rains across southern Haiti, killing at least one man and threatening crops amid protests over high food prices. Global fuel futures soared on fears Gustav could move into the Gulf of Mexico as an "extremely dangerous" storm.
Trees toppled as the storm lingered for hours over Haiti's poor, deforested southern peninsula, and water levels were rising in banana, bean and vegetable fields. One man was killed in a landslide in the mountain town of Benet, civil protection director Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste told Radio Metropole.
"If the rain continues, we'll be flooded," U.N. food consultant Jean Gardy said from the southeastern town of Marigot.
Hundreds of people in coastal Les Cayes ignored government warnings to seek shelter, instead throwing rocks to protest the high cost of living in the Western Hemisphere's poorest country. Witnesses said U.N. peacekeepers used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Haiti is a tinderbox because of soaring food prices, which in April led to deadly protests and the ouster of the nation's prime minister. It was difficult to ascertain the extent of the damage to the nation's crops on Tuesday because of Haiti's poor infrastructure and faulty communications.
Oil prices shot up $5 a barrel Tuesday after the National Hurricane Center predicted Gustav could enter the gulf as a major hurricane this weekend. Prices of futures in natural gas, heating oil and gasoline also rose.
If Gustav continues on its path, it could drive up U.S. gasoline prices by 10 cents a gallon ahead of Labor Day weekend, predicted James Cordier, president of Tampa, Florida-based Liberty Trading Group and OptionSellers.com.
"Most indications are that Gustav will be an extremely dangerous hurricane in the northwestern Caribbean Sea in a few days," the Miami-based hurricane center said.
Gustav roared ashore Tuesday afternoon near the city of Jacmel with top sustained winds near 90 mph. Heavy rains pelted the area as winds bent palm trees and kicked up surf along waterfronts of dilapidated wooden buildings.
Patrice Tallyrand, 43, fled with his family to a friend's home after Gustav knocked down four trees in their back yard in the southern town of Kabik.
"We had to leave the house before it got worse," he said.
Forty miles to the north, residents in the capital wrapped themselves in plastic sheeting against the rain and wind as they ran home in advance of the storm. Businesses closed early, and stranded travelers mobbed the American Airlines counter at the airport after the airline canceled all flights.
"I knew it was coming, but I was hoping to be out before it came," said Jody Stoltzfus, a 27-year-old missionary who had planned a visit home to Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Forecasters said Gustav should slice along the southern coast of Cuba all week and grow into a perilous Category 3 hurricane with 120 mph winds before entering the central gulf on Sunday. Forecasters were reluctant to predict the storm's path beyond the weekend, the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
A powerful storm in the gulf could force shutdowns on the offshore rigs that account for a quarter of U.S. crude production and much of its natural gas. Royal Dutch Shell PLC said it could begin evacuating workers as soon as Wednesday.
The U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, had been expecting a direct hit, but later forecasts suggested the fiercest winds and rain will pass offshore. Base spokesman Bruce Lloyd said they were preparing for emergencies in any case.
More than 4,000 people were evacuated from their homes in the Dominican Republic, while in Jamaica, officials alerted shelters to prepare for possible evacuations Wednesday.
Photo: A lightning storm is visible in an eastern band of the Hurricane Gustav storm system in the distance off the coast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Aug. 26, 2008. (AP Photo/Brennan Linsley)
Rise Of The "Digital Natives"
CBS News technology analyst Larry Magid chats with John Palfrey, director of Harvard Law School's Berkman Center for Internet & Society and co-author of "Born Digital," which looks at how "digital natives" are reshaping our culture, the workplace and poli
Jim Blanchard - Auto Bailout - 11/20
Former Michigan Governor Jim Blanchard, who was a major player when Chrysler received government funds in 1979, rebutted former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney's assertion that bankruptcy would be better than a bailout for the automakers.
OMOF - Detroit Symphony Orchestra
Our Michigan, Our Future: How are Detroit's "Cultural Gems" battling the current economic storm? WWJ's Roberta Jasina takes a look at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
WWJ Newsradio 950 is Detroit's only all-news radio station and is the leader in Detroit radio news. Listen online to WWJ-AM 950 for live, local Detroit news, up-to-the-minute Detroit traffic, Detroit sports, Detroit business and Detroit community information. WWJ Newsradio 950 is an award winning radio station and you can listen online and podcast on demand Detroit news, Detroit Construction Alerts, Detroit School Closings, Winter Survival Guide and learn more about our Business Breakfasts. www.wwj.com.
