After killing at least 85 people in Haiti, the Dominican Republic and Jamaica, Gustav intensified to a major Category 3 hurricane on the morning of August 30. Another round of rapid intensification occurred and Gustav was upgraded to a Category 4 hurricane with 145 mph winds. Continuing to intensify, it became a 150 mph storm that afternoon before reaching landfall in Cuba causing catastrophic damage. It then emerged into the Gulf of Mexico weakening into a Category 3 hurricane with 115 mph winds. The hurricane was very large, and early the next day, it made landfall on Louisiana. At 8 a.m. Central Time September 1, the storm weakened to Category 2 just before landfall. On September 4, Gustav was absorbed by a cold front while over the Ozarks. The hurricane was responsible for at least 138 deaths and up to $20 billion in damage.