Hurricane Gustav threatens gulf coast

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Source: CCTV.com | 08-31-2008 10:58

Hurricane Gustav slammed into Cuba's tobacco-growing western tip Saturday while both Cubans and Americans.

Hurricane Gustav slammed into Cuba's tobacco-growing western tip Saturday while both Cubans and Americans.

scrambled to evacuate. The powerful category 4 hurricane remains on track to strike the oil-rich Gulf of Mexico and New Orleans. Yang yan has more.

Gustav regained hurricane force as it roared across the Caribbean on Friday. So far, the storm has killed more than 70 people in the region.

Officials say Gustav has the potential to be a very dangerous storm.

New forecasts Friday made it increasingly clear that New Orleans will get some kind of hit - direct or indirect - by early next week.

But the US Army Corps of Engineers says New Orleans is much better prepared this time.

Bill Irwin,US Army Corps of Engineers,said,"We have flood walls that are reinforced in certain locations, we have I-walls that have been replaced, we have flood walls that have been armoured with rip-wrap and we have transition points between the flood walls and the levees that have been strengthened also."

Some residents have begun the arduous task of storm-proofing their homes.

National Guard members are reporting to armouries. Some nursing homes and hospitals plan to start moving patients farther inland and the state has began moving 9-thousand inmates from coastal lockups.