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Gulf Coast Prepares As Dean Hits Caribbean
Category 4 Storm Blamed In At Least 3 Deaths In Caribbean

POSTED: 11:01 am EDT August 14, 2007
UPDATED: 10:59 pm EDT August 17, 2007

While Hurricane Dean continues its path across the Caribbean, preparations
are underway in the United States.

Texas Gov. Rick Petty described the Category 4 storm as an "imminent threat"
and said the state was preparing for its arrival. Task forces that will
respond to the storm were put on alert and supply trucks and other resources
were put in position early along potential evacuation routes.

"It's so far out, but it's not too early to start preparing," said Perry
spokeswoman Katherine Cesinger. "We have more notice than with Erin. We're
glad for that especially since (Dean) is projected to bring some strength."

In Louisiana, Gov. Kathleen Blanco declared a state of emergency Friday in
order to allow local governments to move forward with their own emergency
plans if they choose to do so. It also allows Louisiana to bill the federal
government for certain things should Dean shift course and hit Louisiana.

However, forecasts revealed little chance that Dean would move northward
toward Louisiana. Instead, it's expected to tear across the Gulf of Mexico
and threaten Mexico or Texas on Wednesday.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami upgraded Hurricane Dean to a Category
4 storm Friday night as it roared across the Caribbean. The NHC predicted it
would become a Category 5 storm with wind speeds of 160 mph by the time it
hits the Gulf of Mexico.

The storm tore away roofs, flooded streets and caused at least three deaths
on small islands as the powerful storm headed on a collision course with
Jamaica and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula.

Dean has sustained winds of 135 mph after crossing over the warm waters of
the Caribbean and forecasters warned it could grow into a monster tempest
with 150 mph winds before steering next week into the Gulf of Mexico, with
its 4,000 oil and gas platforms.

On St. Lucia, police said a 62-year-old man was swept away and drowned when
he tried to retrieve a cow from a rain-swollen river.

In Dominica, officials said a woman and her 7-year-old son were killed in
their sleep when a rain-soaked hillside gave way and crushed their home.

The NHC said Hurricane Dean has caused a hurricane watch to be issued for
Haiti from the Haiti/Dominican Republic border to Port-au-Prince.

The government of the Dominican Republic has changed the tropical storm
watch to a tropical storm warning along the country's south coast from Cabo
Engano to the country's border with Haiti. A hurricane watch has been issued
from Cabo Beata to the Haiti/Dominican Republic border.

A caller to Radio Martinique said she could "feel its strength" as the
hurricane tore past the island Thursday.

St. Lucia's acting prime minister shut down its two commercial Thursday
night as the hurricane closed in, anticipating a direct hit. Volunteers went
door to door to make sure people knew the storm was coming.

People are hunkered down in shelters on Martinique, where the government has
canceled a planned commemoration of a plane crash one year ago that killed
152 islanders.

A tropical storm warning remained in effect for the U.S. and Spanish Virgin
Islands and Puerto Rico Friday night.

At 8 p.m. EST, the center of the hurricane was located about 190 miles
south-southwest of St. Croix. It was moving west at 19 mph and was expected
to pick up speed through Saturday afternoon.

Dean's center was expected to pass south of the U.S. Virgin Islands Saturday
night and then south of Puerto Rico overnight.