Louisiana on Alert for Gustav

Gustav, diminished for the moment to tropical storm status, still shows every indication of becoming an extremely dangerous storm as it tracks through the Caribbean and toward the Gulf of Mexico with a growing chance of a Louisiana landfall.

Forecasters said it could become a Category 2 hurricane with winds topping 96 mph Thursday as it moves between Cuba and Jamaica.

On Tuesday morning, hurricane forecast tracks showed that Tropical Storm Gustav could become a threat to Louisiana by Monday or Tuesday.

“The path is ominous for the state of Louisiana right now,” said Barry Keim, Louisiana state climatologist.

During a news conference in Baton Rouge on Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Bobby Jindal shared that concern and urged Louisiana residents to start preparing for the worst.

Jindal emphasized that although there is still a lot of uncertainty in the track Gustav could take, it’s not too early for families to make sure they’re prepared.