(MSN) - Tropical Storm Noel slogged across Cuba on Tuesday after causing flooding and mudslides that killed at least 20 people in the Dominican Republic and left another 20 missing, officials said. Rain was still pounding Haiti, where authorities Tuesday evacuated about 2,000 people from Jacmel, a southern coastal city, and flooding forced hundreds to flee their homes in the capital, Port-au-Prince, where people could be seen swimming in muddy water in the streets. There were no immediate reports of deaths or major damage in Cuba. While the storm was heading west, roughly toward Florida, forecasters projected it to emerge over water on Wednesday near Cuba's Cayo Coco resort area and turn toward the northeast toward the Bahamas and strengthen. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami warned people in southeast Florida to closely watch the storm's development. At 1500 GMT, Noel was centered about 60 kilometers ( 40 miles) east-southeast of Camaguey, Cuba, and it was moving toward the west at about 19 kph ( 12 mph), the center said. Maximum sustained winds were down to 75 kph ( 45 mph), down from 95 kph ( 60 mph) earlier.
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