The Atlantic hurricane season's seventh tropical storm Gustav formed in the central Caribbean on Monday and could strengthen into a hurricane before striking Haiti, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

Haiti has about 9 million impoverished residents, so if tropical storm Gustav could pack a punch even if it is not upgraded to a hurricane before landfall. Meteorologists expect as much as 25 inches of rain in some places. Floods and landslides were possible across Haiti's southern peninsula, and the forecasts suggested the eye could pass very closely to the capital of Port-au-Prince, home to nearly 3 million people.

Hurricane warnings were issued for the southern coasts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti west of Barahona.

From there, Gustav is aimed at Florida.