Gulf Coast Watches As Ike Pelts Cuba

Hurricane Ike is blamed for four deaths so far in Cuba.

State television reports that two men were killed removing an antenna before Ike's arrival. Another man died when a tree fell on his house and knocked down a wall. And a woman perished when the roof of her house collapsed.

Ike has been spinning along Cuba's spine and toward the island's densely populated capital of Havana. The storm has forced the evacuation of 1.2 million people.

Much of eastern Cuba is without electricity and phone service is spotty. Thousands of homes have been damaged.

Residents in the Florida Keys breathed a sigh of relief Monday as a fierce Hurricane Ike turned west on a path away from the low-lying island chain. But Gulf Coast states waited after forecasters predicted landfall during the weekend.

A disaster has been pre-declared in 88 Texas counties and Governor Rick Perry has put 7,500 National Guard troops on standby.

Forecasters warned that the storm could hit near Corpus Christi but say storm paths are hard to predict this far out.

In Louisiana, where thousands remain without power after Hurricane Gustav hit last week, Gov. Bobby Jindal is urged residents to stockpile food, water, batteries and other supplies. His state has been getting shelters ready and is making plans for trains, buses and planes in case a coastal evacuation is called for.

Ike is supposed to deliver heavy rain and wind to the Florida Keys as it brushes by.

The National Hurricane Center says Hurricane Ike remains a Category 1 storm over Cuba, with 80 mph winds. At 5 a.m. Eastern time, Ike was located 85 miles south-southeast of Havana and was moving west at 13 mph.

The National Hurricane Center warned that that isolated tornadoes and waterspouts are possible in the Florida Keys and south Florida Tuesday.

Forecasters said they expect the storm to strengthen again before hitting Louisiana or Texas.