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Dennis reaches hurricane strengthCindy downgraded to tropical depression
 This satellite animation shows the movement of Dennis Wednesday in the Caribbean. RELATED
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YOUR E-MAIL ALERTSMIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- People in Jamaica, Cuba and Haiti braced late Wednesday for the menace of Dennis, which strengthened earlier in the day to become the first full-fledged hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic season. The storm was churning along a path toward the Gulf of Mexico, where it could begin threatening the U.S. Gulf Coast late this weekend. Meanwhile, Cindy shrank to a tropical depression as it dumped heavy rain across Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. Dennis formed Tuesday, making July 5 the earliest date in recorded tropical storm history that four named storms have formed in the Atlantic basin, the National Hurricane Center said. As of 8 p.m. ET, Dennis packed maximum sustained winds of almost 80 mph with its center about 280 miles east-southeast of Kingston, Jamaica, the hurricane center said. Now a minimal Category 1 hurricane, the storm was growing better-organized and was expected to strengthen. It could reach Category 2 status -- with winds in excess of 95 mph -- by the time it passes over or near Jamaica Thursday afternoon, forecasters said. Dennis was moving north-northwest at about 13 mph, and forecasters said that motion was expected to continue over the next 24 hours. Hurricane warnings were posted for Jamaica, parts of eastern Cuba and the southwestern peninsula of Haiti, where more than 3,000 people died in flooding and landslides after Hurricane Jeanne hit the impoverished country in 2004. (Full story) The warnings mean hurricane conditions are expected in the areas within 24 hours. Forecasters warned people there to rush storm preparations to completion. A tropical storm warning was issued for the southern coast of the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. A hurricane watch in effect for the Cayman Islands was expected to be upgraded to a warning within hours, forecasters said. Hurricane watches were also posted for central and eastern Cuba. The hurricane center's five-day projection of Dennis' possible path has the center of the storm going across western Cuba Friday and then into the Gulf of Mexico. On that path, the storm would start approaching the central Gulf Coast Sunday and make landfall near Mobile, Alabama, about midday Monday. However, hurricane movements can be erratic, and the potential forecast track of the storm varies from southwest Florida to Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula. Forecasters cautioned that the storm was still too far from the coast for a truly accurate prediction of its ultimate path. Flooding in Jamaica, HaitiBut forecasters said Dennis was likely to increase its intensity as it crosses the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico -- possibly developing into a Category 3 storm with winds faster than 115 mph. The portion of Cuba facing a hurricane warning includes Guantanamo Bay, where the U.S. military operates a detention facility for prisoners from the war on terrorism. Officials there said hurricane preparations were under way but that they did not expect to have to move the roughly 520 detainees. With 65 mph winds expected, loose items were being secured, and a vehicle ferry traversing the facility was shut down, the officials said. Forecasters expect Dennis to produce 4-8 inches of rain for southern Hispaniola, Jamaica, eastern Cuba and the Cayman Islands, the hurricane center said. Up to 12 inches of rain is possible over Jamaica's mountainous terrain, the hurricane center said, warning it "could produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides." By Wednesday evening, rain flooded a highway connecting Kingston, the capital, to the airport, and authorities were preparing to fly helicopters over the island's southeast area in search of people stranded, Jamaica's emergency management office told the AP. Flooding also obstructed roads in southern Haiti, the AP reported. Deadly 2004 seasonWith 14 named storms and six major hurricanes during the 2004 storm season, the successive blows shattered communities in the Caribbean with one of the most destructive and deadly seasons in recent history. (Full story) Haiti suffered the worst, with devastating mudslides and substantial numbers of deaths in the northern city of Gonaives. Years of cutting down the forests for firewood left mountainsides devoid of roots to bind soil. Days of intense rains eventually destabilized the area and covered unsuspecting residents under a mountain of water and debris. The government said more than a quarter-million people were left homeless -- a devastating blow to a country where about 80 percent of the population lives in poverty. Cindy raises oil pricesMobile was already swamped by rains from Cindy, which came ashore late Tuesday near the mouth of the Mississippi River in Louisiana with sustained winds of 70 mph. Cindy's move across the Gulf of Mexico forced the evacuation of 23 of 819 oil platforms and six of 135 oil rigs, according to the Minerals Management Service. Dennis' approach, as a stronger storm, could prompt more. The shutdown has interrupted more than 3 percent of the Gulf's normal oil and natural gas production, pushing oil prices above $60 a barrel in trading Wednesday. (Full story) Water covered roads in several locations in the Alabama city, including the Mobile Bay Causeway between Mobile and Spanish Fort. By 11 a.m. ET Cindy's winds had dropped to 35 mph, and all watches and warnings were canceled, the hurricane center said, but the rain kept up with the storm's northeastward passage. Capt. Mike Sanders with the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office said the coastal community has held up well. "No reports of injuries," he said. "A very major inconvenience, but we're very blessed that Cindy seems to be moving and not stalling." New Orleans missed the worst of the winds when Cindy pushed ashore east of the city, but the strong winds did knock over trees and bring water over the low-lying streets. By late morning Wednesday, cleanup crews were at work in the area while authorities kept a close eye on Dennis. Tropical storms Arlene and Bret preceded Dennis and Cindy this year, but neither reached hurricane strength. CNN's Dan Lothian, Chad Myers, Ninette Sosa and Amanda Moyer contributed to this story. Copyright 2005 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. 
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