Hurricane Gustav moving through Louisiana

Hurricane Gustav came ashore in Louisiana this morning. Fortunately it weakened some and was a Category 2 storm at landfall. So far it looks like the levees are holding in New Orleans and damage to the city is minimal.

Damage and flooding is taking place in other areas around southern Louisiana and there was video on television of flooding in Grand Isle.

I've been trying to keep track of the status of historic sites in the region while also praying for the best for the residents of Louisiana. So far, Mayor Ray Nagin of New Orleans has reported that a fire broke out in an antebellum house in the city but was contained by firefighters. I do not know the extent of the damage.

As I see more on the status of historic sites in the area, I'll keep you informed.

Hurricane expected to Strike on Monday

Hurricane Gustav is now moving northwest across the Gulf of Mexico at 15 miles per hour and is currently forecast to strike the Louisiana coastline sometime tomorrow.

This storm is extremely dangerous and the entire New Orleans metro area is now under a mandatory evacuation.

If you are one of the millions of people that have been forced to evacuate your home, you can monitor the situation in Louisiana online at http://www.wwl.com/. Just as they did during Katrina, they are doing a phenomenal job of covering the storm and providing emergency information.

If you are planning to be traveling in the South, please exercise extreme caution and monitor weather reports on the progress of this storm carefully. If there is anything you can do to help evacuees in your community, please do so. Also please keep the disaster relief fund at the American Red Cross in mind.

Hurricane Gustav threatening Gulf Coast

If you will be traveling anywhere on the Gulf Coast over the next few days, please exercise caution and stay up to date on the latest weather reports. You should also check with your hotel to make sure there is availability.

More than 1,000,000 people have already been evacuated from the New Orleans area as Hurricane Gustav begins its move north into the Gulf of Mexico.

The storm is a major hurricane and is currently following a track that could bring it to land near Grand Isle, Louisiana on Monday. This would move the eye of the storm just west of New Orleans, an extremely serious situation for the city because the most severe part of tropical systems is usually in the area east of the eye.

This storm is considered to be extremely dangerous and hurricanes can sometimes be very unpredictable, so if you are traveling anywhere from Florida around to Texas, please stay up to date on weather conditions. Also please keep the people in the path of this storm in your prayers and do what you can to help in its aftermath.