Hurricane Gustav's Track - What Has Been Predicted ???

Hurricane Gustav

We sit and we wait as Hurricane Gustav heads toward what one could only hope will still be their home after the storm blows through. Many are wondering about Hurricane Gustav's track and where it will be heading. The national weather center had reported only moments ago that Hurricane Gustav's track is headed toward the Gulf of Mexico, as reported by the Jamaica Observer.

Hurricanes are every bit as scary as they sound, and those who may be living though Hurricane Gustav should listen to the news as often as they can for updates.

Here are a few hurricane survival tips:

* Hurricanes have massive winds and can tear through a house in a matter of seconds. If you are facing the event of a hurricane like Gustav you should listen for updates on vacating the area or for where the hurricane is headed.

* There is no exact way of telling where a hurricane could hit but they usually give a pretty accurate location. To be on the safe side, if I was in the surrounding areas I would also leave if there has been a warning to vacate the area.


* In the event that you are not able to vacate the area along with everyone else you should at least pack a safety bag and know where you should seek cover if the hurricane hits. Having a plan will help you to keep yourself safer.

Every year, people die from hurricanes like Gustav and you should keep this in mind when you are trying to make the decision to follow everyone or to stay in the area.

Hurricane Gustav track can not be fully determined, but with all the technology that is available they can tell you approximately where the hurricane will hit and approximately how strong it will be.

As of right now, weather services are predicting Hurricane Gustav will be close to a category 3 hurricane. A hurricane is dubbed as such when it reaches winds of 70 miles per hour. Here in Oklahoma, it isn't unusual to get winds that high throughout the year, but I couldn't imagine having it in the form of a hurricane.

Hurricane Gustav's Track Causes Oil Prices to Spike

Hurricane Gustav, the 7^th Atlantic storm of the season, is now predicted to hit the Gulf of Mexico this coming weekend. Hurricane Gustav's track is currently trending toward Haiti and Cuba, and the U.S. Military Installation at Guantanamo Bay is making storm preparations. Gustav's previous track would have meant a direct hit to Gitmo, but now Hurricane Gustav's track is off shore. Reuters reports that Hurricane Gustav's aim toward the Gulf of Mexico has translated into a spike in the cost per barrel of oil, whereas we've previously been enjoying falling prices per barrel, resulting in cheaper gas at the pump.

Though currently only a Category 1 hurricane, the Gulf's warm waters would feed Gustav and potentially cause an escalation in Gustav's category status to a Category 3 or higher. Katrina made land fall, 3 years ago this week, as a Category 3.

Hurricane Gustav's path and comparison to Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina is still fresh in the mind of many Americans, though it has been nearly 3 years since she wreaked her wrath on the Gulf Coast and New Orleans. Aside from the sheer damage and loss of life, Katrina and subsequently Rita, caused an incredible amount of damage to oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in a huge spike in gas costs. Refineries were heavily damaged, causing a shortage in fuel. Gas prices soared over $3 a gallon in short order, a jump of 30-40 cents overnight, back in early September 2005, shortly after Katrina hit. Hurricane Gustav's track currently makes a Gulf hit a possibility.

Clearly, a Gulf hit of the same proportions of Hurricane Katrina could re-devastate the recovery efforts in the Gulf, not to mention the oil industry in the Gulf region. Americans are still feeling many of the effects of Katrina's wrath on their pocket book, considering that gas prices have yet to drop to pre-Katrina levels.