Bob Peters Forecast

Hurricane Gustav strengthened dramatically Saturday, going from a strong tropical storm just after midnight to a hurricane with maximum winds of 150 mph by 4 p.m.

Gustav is likely to have substantial effects on east Texas weather from Tuesday into Thursday afternoon. Rainfall forecasts have been increased, and wind forecasts decreased somewhat.

The models forecast that Gustav will move slowly.

After coming ashore near Morgan City, La., Monday, the storm, at minimal hurricane strength, should be near DeRitter, La., midday Tuesday.

At that point, it will slow to a crawl, reaching somewhere near Henderson as either a minimal tropical storm or strong tropical depression by midday Wednesday, somewhere near Tyler by Thursday morning as a tropical depression, and perhaps Terrell by Thursday midday still as a tropical depression.

Winds below a Lufkin-Natchitoches, La., line could reach hurricane strength Tues-day afternoon. Winds from In-terstate 20 southward should reach storm force Tuesday eve-ning (48 mph or higher) then decrease to gale force (34 mph) by Wednesday, and continue though gradually decreasing through Thursday morning.

As a consequence, widespread and perhaps prolonged failures of electrical, TV cable, and telephone service appear probable.