The single most deadly incident occurred in the Dominican capital of Santo Domingo, where a mother and six of her children perished when their shanty was buried by a landslide.

Gustav was weakened by its interaction with the terrain of Hispaniola, then appeared to become disorganized in satellite images between Haiti and Jamaica late Wednesday.

It was expected to slowly reorganize into a dangerous hurricane late in the week, threatening to strike the western tip of Cuba.

Forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami predicted that the storm could then strengthen to Category-3 force in the Gulf of Mexico before striking the central Gulf Coast on the Labor Day holiday.

Hurricane Gustav Track

Satellite Loop: University of Wisconsin (CIMSS)