Gustav, Hanna & (Ike)

Gustav looks bad, but not horrific. It's planning to come in between Grande Isle and Cocodrie, and that's not good b/c Grande Isle, where Betsy made landfall in the 60's, is the worst possible place to land which puts NOLA in the dirty side of the storm. That's also worrisome because most storms tend to jog right just before landfall (think Edouard, Wilma, Katrina, Rita, Ivan, etc. etc.). However, the official cone of death still includes everywhere between Houston and the Mississippi/Louisiana border. It's a 3, but could strengthen to a 4 by the 5 PM EDT/4 PM CDT advisory, but will most likely (I think) make landfall as a weak 3 (which is STILL a bad storm).

Tropical Storm WARNINGS are in effect for Franklin, Gulf, Bay, Walton, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa & Escambia (Florida) Counties. Then a Hurricane WARNINGS are in effect for Baldwin & Mobile (Alabama) Counties, Jackson, Harrison & Hancock (Mississippi) Counties, and St. Tammany, Orleans, St. Bernard, Tangipahoa, Livingston, Ascension, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Charles, Lafourche, Terrebonne, Plaquemines, St. Mary, Iberia, Vermilion & eastern Cameron (Louisian) Parishes (this includes metro NOLA and Lake Pontchartrain). A Hurricane WATCH is up for western Cameron Parish, and Jefferson and Chambers Counties in Texas.

That is not all yet though. Tropical Storm Hanna is on track to strike the Atlantic Coast, possibly as a Category 3. The 5 day cone includes all of Florida except for Key West and areas west of Saint George Island in the Panhandle. It also includes areas of Georgia (coastal, southern and central), South Carolina, and North Carolina up to Surf City.

To keep up to date with Gustav: WWL.

Finally, Ike could form any minute, and could strike ANYWHERE, or NOWHERE (we won't know until it forms and we get a track!).