KINGSTON, August 28, 2008 (AFP) - Tropical Storm Gustav was battering Jamaica Thursday, ripping off roofs in the eastern parish of Portland, authories said.

Four people had to be relocated after the roof of a primary school being used as an emergency shelter was peeled off, according to police, who also reported incidents of looting in Long Bay, Portland.

The winds felled trees amid fears that banana cultivation in eastern Jamaica will take a hit. The country's banana industry is only now recovering from devastation caused by Hurricane Dean last year.

The two international airports on the islands were closed and the government urged residents to stay indoors. Streets in the capital city of Kingston were deserted.

Gustav, packing winds near 70 miles per hour (110 kilometers per hour) with higher gusts, was expected to dump up to 12 inches (30 centimeters) of rain in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, with up to 25 inches (64 centimeters) possible in some areas, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida.