AP

A sheriff's truck drives around downed power lines after Hurricane Gustav stormed through Monteguet, La.

6:47 p.m. Monday: In the small town of Braithwaite, which is about 20 miles south of New Orleans, crews are trying to close up a hole in a levee by using sandbags and a bulldozer moving dirt. The levee is near the St. Bernard Parish. There is a concern the hole could grow bigger and consume homes in the area. We understand that is the story across coastal areas of Louisiana. In small fishing villages, it appears there are concerns of levee breaches.

However, in New Orleans it is a far different story. Evacuees may be able to return as early as Tuesday. (Jonathan Betz in New Orleans)

5:28 p.m. Monday: While Hurricane Gustav was not as catastrophic as originally believed, it didn't mean Louisiana escaped without damage. A levee in the southeast part of Louisiana was on the verge of collapse, and officials scrambled to fortify it. Roofs were torn from homes, trees toppled and roads flooded. More than 1 million homes were without power. (Associated Press)

5:17 p.m. Monday: Right now, Hurricane Gustav is covering just about the entire state of Louisiana. The eye has filled in, so it continues to weaken. Wind speeds are about 80 mph. However, we still have numerous tornado warning in effect in Mississippi, Alabama and into western portions of Florida. Over the next 24 to 48-hour period, flooding is the primary threat in the northeast part of the storm. The Dallas-Fort Worth area will get some rain due to Gustav. At midnight tonight, showers and thunderstorms will be moving into the eastern part of Texas. Very heavy rain fall will hit in the Nacogdoches area. In the D-FW area, we are on the fence of the storm. Wednesday night, we will see about a half an inch to an inch of rain. Are temperatures will fall into the 80s in the next several days, with the best chances of rain Tuesday and Wednesday. Then, it's all over with. Temperatures will head into the upper 80s and lower 90s as we head into a dry weekend. (Meteorologist Steve McCauley)

AP

The Harbor Shop bait shop at the Gulfport, Miss. is surrounded by water.

5:07 p.m. Monday: According to the National Weather Service, we are about to get winds up to about 40 to 50 mph here in Beaumont. There will also be two to four inches of rain that will likely fall. The area is still under a mandatory evacuation order. Monday afternoon, some of the local emergency management met with the state to discuss how long the evacuation order should continue since the Beaumont-Port Arthur area isn't going to take a direct hit. They decided the evacuation order will stay in place until at least 6 a.m. Tuesday. (Brad Watson in Beaumont)

4:39 p.m. Monday: There are 330 miles of levees that circle Louisiana. What we're understanding now is that a small section of the levees in a parish called St. Bernard, which is a very rural area south of New Orleans, have given away. In that spot, it is actually mounds of dirt protecting the land. In that area, it's a small fishing village and home to about 300 people. It was completely wiped out during Hurricane Katrina three years ago. While were not sure if there is actually flooding of businesses and homes, we have heard water is rushing into that village. Here in New Orleans, there was the levee in which water overtopped the levee. However, it did not fail. (Jonathan Betz in New Orleans)

4:04 p.m. Monday: Signs of life have begun to be seen in New Orleans once again. I am beginning to see lots of people walk out and kind of survey the damage. What a lot of people are finding is that there is very little damage to speak of. There are downed poles, street signs and trees, but not major catastrophic damage as was predicted. But there was that very close call earlier in the morning at the Industrial Canal. Water just overlapped the floodwall. (Jonathan Betz in New Orleans)

AP

Water sloshes over the floodwall on the city-side of the Industrial Canal in the 9th Ward.

4:04 p.m. Monday: Signs of life have begun to be seen in New Orleans once again. I am beginning to see lots of people walk out and kind of survey the damage. What a lot of people are finding is that there is very little damage to speak of. There are downed poles, street signs and trees, but not major catastrophic damage as was predicted. But there was that very close call earlier in the morning at the Industrial Canal. Water just overlapped the floodwall. (Jonathan Betz in New Orleans)

3:40 p.m. Monday: Official reports have wind gusts at 81 mph. However, there were also unofficial reports of wind gusts over 100 mph. Very, heavy rain has been falling. There is no doubt Baton Rouge is getting hit harder than New Orleans. Lots of minor damage can be seen, including fallen fences and signs. Also, reports of power outages have been wide-spread in the area. (Chief Meteorologist Pete Delkus in Baton Rouge)

3:15 p.m. Monday: Hurricane Gustav slammed into the heart of Louisiana's fishing and oil industry with 110 mph winds Monday, delivering only a glancing blow to New Orleans that raised hopes the city would escape the kind of catastrophic flooding brought by Katrina three years ago.

Wind-driven water sloshed over the top of the Industrial Canal's floodwall, but city officials and the Army Corps of Engineers said they expected the levees, still only partially rebuilt after Katrina, would hold.

"We are seeing some overtopping waves," said Col. Jeff Bedey, commander of the Corps' hurricane protection office. "We are cautiously optimistic and confident that we won't see catastrophic wall failure." In Terrebonne Parish, located in the southeast part of the state, several homes had torn roofs, but winds were still too fierce for officials to fan out and assess the damage.

Keith Cologne of Chauvin, La., looked dejected after talking by telephone to a friend who didn't evacuate. "They said it's bad, real bad. There are roofs lying all over. It's all gone," said Cologne, staying at a hotel in Orange Beach, Ala.

In the Upper Ninth Ward, about half the streets closest to the canal were flooded with ankle- to knee-deep water as the road dipped and rose. Of more immediate concern to authorities were two small vessels that broke loose from their moorings in the canal and were resting against the Florida Street wharf.

By mid afternoon Monday, the rain had stopped in the French Quarter, the highest point in the city. The wind was breezy but not fierce, and some of the approximately 10,000 people who chose to defy warnings and stay behind began to emerge. But knowing that the levees surrounding the city could still be pressured by rising waters, no one was celebrating just yet.

"I don't think we're out of the woods. We still have to worry about the water," said Gerald Boulmay, 61, a St. Louis Hotel worker and lifelong New Orleanean.

(Associated Press)

AP

New Orleans residents Roberto Yuill makes light of the situation by pretending the wind is blowing him away in the French Quarter.

2:12 p.m. Monday: Dallas shelters are at full capacity. At 1 p.m., the Dallas Convention Center met its capacity limit of 1,000 people. The Samuell Grand Recreation Center shelter location is also full. The shelters will remain in operation until guests are able to return home. The American Red Cross will direct evacuees to the Mesquite reception center. (WFAA.com)

2:11 p.m. Monday: The American Red Cross says it has spent $13 million nationwide for shelter and other help for Hurricane Gustav. (WFAA.com)

2 p.m. Monday: Hurricane Gustav has lost muscle over south La. and has weakened to a Category 1. However, it still has 90-mph winds. (Associated Press)

12:42 p.m. Monday: Hurricane Hanna forms in Caribbean; warnings have been issued for residents of the Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos islands. (Associated Press)

12:40 p.m. Monday: The latest total of evacuees in shelter in the Dallas area is about 1,700. The alrgest shelter has been the Dallas Convention Center, which has about 800 people currently. Another 900 people are housed at five-area shelters that are headed by the American Red Cross. (Brett Shipp in Dallas)

12:09 p.m. Monday:

12:09 p.m. Monday: Things seem to be going well here in Fort Worth at one of the shelters for evacuees. In Tarrant County, we've been told there are 576 evacuees. Fort Worth has four shelters opened. One Beaumont family who found shelter in Fort Worth consisted of 25 members. (Jim Douglas in Fort Worth)

12:07 p.m. Monday: Right now, we've been told as many as 1,000 evacuees have made their way to the Mesquite Memorial Stadium, which has been a reception center for evacuees. Two more packed buses arrived just 15 minutes ago. There are still 11 more buses expected to arrive Monday at the stadium. Many at the stadium have expressed fears for what they left behind and what is to come. "Man, I'm tired and frustrated," said Susann Cartwright, an evacuee. Evacuees spent as long as two days on buses as they slowly made their way to their destinations in congested traffic. "We had to evacuate this time because we were going to get a dead hit," said Marguerite Harris, another evacuee. "We were going to see water that we've never seen before." Evacuees are being sent to eight-area shelters in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. (Cynthia Vega in Beaumont)

WWL-TV

Two ships broke free in the Industrial Canal.

12:05 p.m. Monday: Some southeast Texans impatient with the weekend hurricane have begun to filter back into the area, which has led emergency officials to plead for evacuees to stay put. Here in Beaumont, we know we're just hours away from forceful winds and rains, which is why police are saying stay away. Gustav, on its current track, will come in north of Beaumont, bringing up to ten-inches of rain possibly. Because of the evacuation orders, Beaumont and Port Arthur have been desolate today. With so many people gone, all 250 Beaumont police officers are in patrol cars. The officers are on 12 hours shifts until the storm passes. "We can't guarantee everything 100 percent, but we will do everything we can to be visible on the streets," said Sgt. Burt Moore, with the Beaumont Police Department. (Brad Watson in Mesquite)

12:04 p.m. Monday: We're still seeing debris, including signs and pieces of roofs, fly around the French Quarter. Hurricane Gustav continues to batter the city with strong winds and heavy rain. On the west side of the city, water is going over the levees of the Industrial Canal. There is fear that if the waters continue to topple the levee that the walls could fail. On this side of the canal, the barriers had not yet been raised by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of the long-term improvement of the levees. However, the Corps of Engineers say their confident the floodwalls will hold. Across the whole New Orleans area, there is very little damage and no major flooding at this point. (Jonathan Betz in New Orleans)

12:03 p.m. Monday: We've had 60 mph confirmed wind gusts here at the airport in Baton Rouge. We've heard numerous reports of power outages, and we could hear numerous transformers exploding out to the east. The rain continues to come down in sheets. The big concern has been for tornados. In the north-end of the Lake Ponchatrain area, there have been numerous reports of tornados on the ground. (Chief Meteorologist Pete Delkus in Baton Rouge)

Noon Monday: The 115-mph winds that Gustav has brought to the Gulf Coast area has snapped tree branches and caused some structural damage. Some people who waited to long to evacuate found themselves back in New Orleans after turning their cars around due to stopped traffic. "We started out fine, but then we hit this traffic and we were on the highway with the car in park," said Debby Cobb, a New Orleans resident. "Hearing the radio, how many hours people were doing that, we just turned around and came home." The big question for those still in New Orleans is will the levees hold. Even with Gustav now a 2, much depends on the storm's surge, which has also been downgraded by nearly half of what was originally expected. (Marti Johnson in New Orleans)

11:05 a.m. Monday: Two derelict ships broke free of their moorings in New Orleans' Industrial Canal this morning as Hurricane Gustav batttered the city. Port officials said the runaway ships were secured before they could cause any damage to bridges or the delicate levee system. "We're always concerned about this area," said Army Corps of Engineers spokesman Maj. Jim Kurgan. "It's one of the more vulnerable parts to the system." Kurgan said the depth gauges were reading 11.5 feet; the canal's levee walls are 12.2 feet. While water could be seen crashing over the top of the walls, officials said the levee has not been breached. (WWL-TV)

10:23 a.m. Monday: Four people fleeing Hurricane Gustav are dead after an early morning car crash on Interstate 20 in west Georgia. Trooper Terry Thompson with the Georgia State Patrol said the car veered from the roadway and struck a tree in the median. He said the driver may have fallen asleep. Two other people in the car were airlifted to Atlanta hospitals. One of the survivors is in critical condition at Atlanta Medical Center, and the other is in stable condition at Grady Memorial Hospital. (Associated Press)

9:48 a.m. Monday: Pushed by high winds, waters are slamming the west side of the floodwall in New Orleans' Industrial Canal, with water lapping over. The west side of the floodwall faces into the Ninth Ward. Standing atop the Claiborne Bridge, white caps raged in the canal and tested the strength of the floodwall. The water in the canal is high due to storm surge pushing water into the Industrial Canal. Unlike the London Avenue, the 17th Street and the Orleans Avenue Canal, there is no gate that the Army Corps of Engineers can close to stop additional water from being pushed inside. When the winds shift later, the waters will test the east side of the canal, where the walls ruptured during Hurricane Katrina, flooding the Lower Ninth Ward. (Mike Hoss, WWL-TV)

9:21 a.m. Monday: There's a report of two barges loose in New Orleans' Industrial Canal. Gov. Bobby Jindal says he is very concerned about the development because the Coast Guard had told him that all barges had been removed from the waters in the city. (WFAA-TV)

WWL-TV

Some parts of New Orleans were flooding.

9:14 a.m. Monday: The path of Hurricane Gustav shifted slightly to the west as it came ashore, which is good news for New Orleans. The Army Corps of Engineers now says no storm surge flooding is anticipated in New Orleans as a result of the hurricane, which slowed to a Category 2 storm after starting its move inland. Top winds are now 110 mph. There is, however, flooding in some areas of the city; the extent is not yet known. Also, hurricane force winds still extend out 70 miles from the center of the storm, mainly on the north and northeast sides of the eye. Rainfall is expected to total 10 to 15 inches in the direct path of the storm. Some spots in Louisiana could see as much as 20 inches of precipitation. (Pete Delkus in Baton Rouge and Greg Fields in Dallas)

9:12 a.m. Monday: Gusts snapped large branches from the majestic oak trees that form a canopy over St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans. Tens of thousands were without power in the city and other low-lying parishes, but officials said backup generators were keeping drainage pumps in service. As a nervous nation watched to see if Gustav would deliver another Katrina-style hit on the partially rebuilt city, officials steadfastly insisted three years of planning and infrastructure upgrades had prepared them for whatever was to come. "We don't expect the loss of life, certainly, that we saw in Katrina," Federal Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director Harvey E. Johnson told The Associated Press. "But we are expecting a lot of homes to be damaged, a lot of infrastructure to be flooded, and damaged severely." On the high ground in the French Quarter, nasty winds whipped signs and the purple, green and gold Mardi Gras flags hanging from cast-iron balconies. Like the rest of the city, the Quarter's normally boisterous streets were deserted save for a police officer standing watch every few blocks and a few early-morning drinkers in the city's famous bars. (Associated Press)

WFAA-TV

The storm stirred surf on the Louisiana coast.

9 a.m. Monday The northern portion of Hurricane Gustav's eye wall has just started to move on shore along the Louisiana coast. Here in Baton Rouge, light to moderate rain is falling. We've had heavier bands of rain within the past hour. Winds here are gusting 30-35 mph, but a short time ago tropical storm-force winds of 39 mph or higher were noted. The rain will increase in intensity as the storm moves from the southeast to the northwest toward Baton Rouge. (Pete Delkus)

8:19 a.m. Monday The medical evacuation flights planned for Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport as part of the National Disaster Medical System have been suspended. Hospital officials in the Beaumont area elected not to evacuate critical care patients based on the storm's trajectory. Federal response teams that were staged at D/FW this weekend are now standing down. D/FW is housing approximately 250 federal employees from the Louis Armstrong - New Orleans International Airport at the Terminal E satellite facility. They were the last to leave the New Orleans airport Sunday evening, and will be the first to return to re-open that airport after the storm passes. (D/FW Airport)

7:56 a.m. Monday: Hurricane Gustav has made landfall on the Louisiana Gulf Coast, packing winds estimated at 115 mph, a major Category 3 storm capable of causing flooding, knocking down trees and damaging buildings. The storm will weaken to a tropical depression as it moves on a track towards North Texas by Tuesday evening. (Pete Delkus in Baton Rouge and Greg Fields in Dallas)

7:46 a.m. Monday: FEMA's second-in-command says Hurricane Gustav is expected to be a catastrophic storm when it slams into the Gulf Coast late this morning, but there's enough food, water, ice and other supplies stockpiled for one million victims over the next three days. FEMA Deputy Director Harvey E. Johnson says the eye of the storm is expected to pass west of New Orleans, but its surge will likely overtop levees and at least partially flood the city that was hit hard by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Johnson says an estimated 2 million people have been evacuated from Louisiana, but as many as 10,000 remain in the New Orleans area. (Associated Press)

7:25 a.m. Monday: Hurricane Gustav steamed toward the Louisiana coast early Monday on track to hit west of New Orleans as the few remaining in the city watched nervously and hoped levees only partly reinforced in the three years since Katrina would hold. Those who heeded days of warnings to get out watched from shelters and hotel rooms hundreds of miles away, praying the powerful Category 3 storm and its 115-mph winds would pass without the same deadly toll. "We're nervous, but we just have to keep trusting in God that we don't get the water again," said Lyndon Guidry, who hit the road for Florida just a few months after he was able to return to his home in New Orleans. "We just have to put our faith in God." Water gushed off buildings and flags hung in tatters, ripped to shreds in the high winds. But there were no reports of serious flooding, and only scattered clusters of power outages. (Associated Press)

6 a.m. Monday: Hurricane Gustav is very near the coast, according to the latest radar information. I expect this system to make landfall within the hour on the central Louisiana coast. Conditions will deteriorate over the next few hours as the eye of the storm passes just to the west of our location in Baton Rouge. A tornado watch continues until at least 7 a.m. but will likely be extended through the morning hours. (Chief Meteorologist Pete Delkus)

5:36 a.m. Monday: Another bus filled with evacuees from the Gulf Coast arrived early today at Mesquite Memorial Stadium, where they will be processed by a team of 100 volunteers before being shuttled to shelters around North Texas. The first busloads arrived late Sunday and they have been trickling in througout the night. The evacuees first get a brief medical check, then get a bite to eat and a package of necessities. But some of the new arrivals didn't find what they were most looking for: a television set to monitor the progress of the storm that is threatening their homes. (Cynthia Vega)

5:32 a.m. Monday: An estimated 10,000 people remain behind in New Orleans after the mandatory evacuation. Mayor Ray Nagin said the exodus was a complete success, with 97 percent of the city's residents getting out of town. The French Quarter is eerily quiet and the rain is falling. The frequency and intensity of rain and wind is starting to pick up. It now appears that the storm will move inland to the west of New Orleans, pushing any storm surge toward the central part of the state. It appears at this time that the levees that surround and protect the city are high enough and should be reinforced enough to shield New Orleans from any catastrophic flooding. (Lee McGuire)

5:04 a.m. Monday: It's calm in Beaumont this morning, but the National Weather Service says that won't be lasting long. Rain will begin falling from the outer bands of Hurricane Gustav as it approaches the Southeast Texas Gulf Coast. By midday, forecasters say tropical force winds up to 50 mph could reach Beaumont. Two to four inches of rainfall is expected in the Beaumont-Port Arthur area. A storm surge of up to four feet could accompany Gustav as it moves along the coast. Officials will be on the lookout for signs of flooding and also wind damage. When Hurricane Rita blew through the same area three years ago, it toppled many trees and power lines. (Brad Watson)

5:01 a.m. Monday: All of southern Louisiana is under a tornado watch, and portions of the area have also seen tornado warnings overnight as Hurricane Gustav moves toward the coast. It's calm here in Baton Rouge at this hour, but I expect that to change within the hour as the main band of storms associated with the storm moves in. Conditions should deteroirate quickly. Showers and thunderstorms have already moved on shore. The eye of the hurricane — although not well-defined — is about 65 miles off the Louisiana coast. We do expect it to make landfall in the next several hours and I expect things to worsen as the day moves along, with more rain and higher winds. Gustav is packing top winds of 115 mph right now, making it a Category 3 major hurricane that will make landfall on the central Louisiana coast later this morning. (Chief Meteorologist Pete Delkus)

4:14 a.m. Monday: Forecasters say Hurricane Gustav is no longer expected to gain strength before it slams into the Louisiana coast around midday. The National Hurricane Center says Gustav remains a Category 3 storm with top sustained winds near 115 mph as it roars in from the Gulf of Mexico. Earlier forecasts had said Gustav might get stronger before coming ashore. Category 3 storms have winds between 111 mph and 130 mph. At 4 a.m. CDT Monday, Gustav was centered about 115 miles south-southeast of New Orleans and was moving northwest near 16 mph. (Associated Press)

3:13 a.m. Monday: A tornado warning has been issued for the New Orleans vicinity as Hurricane Gustav approaches the city. (WWL-TV)

WWL-TV

Water surged over the banks of Lake Pontchartrain.

3:05 a.m. Monday: Water is beginning to surge over the banks of Lake Pontchartrain, whipped up by winds from the approaching Hurricane Gustav. There's no rain, but strong gusts at the corner of Lakeshore Drive and Canal Boulevard on the lakefront. The area is deserted except for military personnel on patrol. (Juan Kinkaid, WWL-TV)
• VIDEO: Watch Juan Kinkaid's report

2:43 a.m. Monday: The latest update from the National Hurricane Center has Hurricane Gustav centered about 170 miles south-southeast of New Orleans. With top sustained winds at 115 miles per hour, it's forecast to be a Category 3 storm when it makes landfall west of New Orleans. The coast is already feeling tropical storm-force winds. Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal is begging anyone who hasn't evacuated yet to do so soon, saying there are "still a few hours left." Louisiana State Police think about 90 percent of those living along the coast have done that. The exodus of almost two million people is being called the largest evacuation in state history, and thousands more have left from Mississippi, Alabama and southeast Texas. The police superintendent says they'll know how many people are left in New Orleans "when the 911 calls start coming in." (Associated Press)

2:36 a.m. Monday: There's still room for more Hurricane Gustav evacuees at a shelter established at the Dallas Convention Center. The shelter has 1,000 beds; so far, 637 of them are occupied. The Convention Shelter is also welcoming displaced pets, including 40 dogs, one cat and one turtle. Another Dallas shelter, at Samuell Grand Recreation Center, is already filled to its 81-bed capacity. (WFAA-TV)

1:51 a.m. Monday: As we bring you round-the-clock coverage of Hurricane Gustav on WFAA.com, we hope you'll check out the coverage of our colleagues at WWL-TV in New Orleans. They have been on the air, around the clock, since Saturday afternoon, supplying important evacuation, safety, and weather information to their viewers. Their non-stop news broadcast is now being relayed around the state by Louisiana PBS stations, in North Texas on WFAA Digital 8.2, and around the world on the Internet. It's easy to forget that every one of the on-air reporters, anchors, and the behind-the-scenes employees are working while their own homes are threatened by the hurricane's devastating power. The station's coverage of Hurricane Katrina earned them a Peabody Award.
• LIVE VIDEO: Watch WWL-TV on WFAA Digital 8.2

AP

Vaughn Mordenti, owner a Bourbon St. restaurant, watches the clouds over the French Quarter as Hurricane Gustav approaches.

1:15 a.m. Monday: The wind is picking up in New Orleans' French Quarter district, but so far, conditions are mostly calm. We do expect that to change dramatically over the next few hours as Hurricane Gustav bears down on the Louisiana coast. New Orleans police, military police and the National Guard are on patrol to maintain order and to discourage looting. But the streets are deserted, and it appears that almost everyone heeded the warnings to get out of town — a stark difference from three years ago as Hurricane Katrina approached this city. (Jonathan Betz, WFAA-TV)
• VIDEO: Jonathan Betz reports

WWL-TV

Work continued past midnight to buiild a temporary levee in Plaquemines Parish, La.

1:09 a.m. Monday: Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser said the New Orleans-area parish is making a furious effort to build a temporary levee to protect Belle Chasse. He said the construction effort started Sunday evening at 6:30. He said initially the parish wasn't going to try, as projections showed the surge from Hurricane Gustav would be tremendous. But Nungesser said now that surge projections are considerably lower, they thought they had a chance. They are racing against the rapidly worsening weather conditions. Nungesser said he thinks the makeshift levee gives them a "very good chance" to protect the area. (Maya Rodriguez, WWL-TV)
• VIDEO: Watch the report

12:32 a.m. Monday: The National Weather Service issued a special weather statement tonight warning that the remnants of Hurricane Gustav will spread rain and wind over the eastern third of North Texas. Precipitation totals by Friday could average around one inch along the Interstate 35 corridor to more than four inches from Athens north to Paris. The agency said there could be isolated areas with totals in excess of six inches from Paris south to Canton. A wind advisory will likely be issued across the eastern counties of the region on Tuesday and Wednesday, the weather service said. (WFAA-TV)

10:10 p.m. Sunday: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has kept busy as more than 60 federal workers, who will be staying at the airport, flew into the area. On the east side of the airport, a hangar is ready to take in critical care patients. However, that mission has been placed on hold because of the weather already hitting the Gulf Coast. (Monika Diaz at D/FW Airport)

10:07 p.m. Sunday: It's been a long wait at a Mesquite staging ground for about 30 buses filled with about 1,500evacuees from the New Orleans area. After hours of waiting for the evacuees, there has still been no sign of them at the Mesquite Memorial Stadium. However, there have been cars pulling up with weary passengers inside. About 200 people arrived at the stadium Sunday.

"It was like a real long 26-hour drive," said Dennis Pleasant, an evacuee from New Orleans.

It was a trip that would normally take about eight hours.

The long trip has translated into a long night for volunteers at the stadium

"We've been told there has been gridlock at various places where all these buses are congested," said John Monaco, Mesquite's mayor.

The next wave of evacuees is expected to be spread out to shelters in Carrollton, Irving and Richardson.

(David Schechter in Mesquite)

10:04 p.m. Sunday: Folks tonight have been out and about as they prepare for Gustav. People bagged sand in preparation for potential flooding. Most of the stores in the area remained open. Many people have been searching for ice, which hasn't been easy to find. But as some prepped for the big storm, one guy could be seen out on his sailboat. (Chief Meteorologist Pete Delkus in Baton Rouge)

AP

Vaughn Mordenti, owner of B Street Bar and Restaurant on Bourbon St., watches the clouds over the French Quarter.

10:02 p.m. Sunday: The rain started to fall before sunset in New Orleans. Right now the city is in lockdown and is largely deserted. The winds have also picked up over the last few hours. Nearly two million have fled the Gulf Coast area, which is the largest evacuation in the Louisiana's history. The large military presence can be seen as guards patrol the streets. They are enforcing a strict curfew, as the mayor has insisted looting will not be tolerated. (Jonathan Betz in New Orleans)

10 p.m. Sunday: Hurricane Gustav is projected to make landfall at about 8 a.m. Monday at Terrebonne Bay in Louisiana. Currently, the system is 173 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. It's moving northwest at 17 mph with winds of 115 mph. At 10 a.m., the hurricane is expected to be just to the west of Baton Rouge. It's still fairly ragged storm, which isn't nearly as symmetrical as Hurricane Katrina was when it hit Louisiana. However, it's still a very powerful hurricane. And right now, the hurricane's outer bands are already moving through portions of Louisiana. (Chief Meteorologist Pete Delkus in Baton Rouge)

9:57 p.m. Sunday: FEMA has estimated Hurricane Gustav could cause more than $29 billion in damage. FEMA's software also projected 4.5 million people are in the storm's path, along with 170 hospitals, 1,100 police-fire stations and 59,953 buildings. It also estimated Hurricane Gustav could destroy arouond 60,000 buildings. (WFAA-TV)

9 p.m. Sunday: About 630 people are currently in American Red Cross shelters across the Dallas-Fort Worth area, said Anita Foster with American Red Cross. While a combined number of about 400 volunteers attended training on Saturday and Sunday, the Red Cross says more volunteers are still needed. Across five states, the Red Cross has spent $12 million in preparation for Gustav, Foster said. (WFAA.com)

AP

Louisiana National Guard members walk on Canal Street in New Orleans.

8:50 p.m. Sunday: For the most part, the callers were calm, patiently asking for the fastest path out of New Orleans or some other Gulf Coast city as Hurricane Gustav twisted its way to the northwest. They started calling General Motors Corp.'s OnStar service by the thousands early Saturday, and by Sunday, their numbers had grown to well over 3,000 per hour. (The Associated Press)
•  Read the full story

8 p.m. Sunday: Evacuees arriving in North Texas who need shelter should head to Mesquite Memorial Stadium, 2411 W. Scyene Road in Mesquite or the Dallas Convention Center, 650 S. Griffin St. Officials there will check them in and direct them to available openings at area shelters. For more information, call 211 or 1-888-312-4567. (DMN)

7:30 p.m. Sunday: Mesquite Memorial Stadium is a staging ground for about 30 buses filled with evacuees from the New Orleans area. According to Cliff Keheley, director of Housing and Community Services for Mesquite, about 40 to 50 paid personnel are on site and about 90 volunteers are providing basic services and supplies for the hundreds of people that they expect to come in that includes restrooms, food, water, basic medical services and facilities for animals. (Dave Levinthal / DMN)

6:55 p.m. Sunday: AT&T announced Sunday that they will be providing free GoPhones to Hurricane Gustav evacuees. AT&T is giving away at least 2,000 phones that have $15 in minutes. Evacuees in Houston and San Antonio can get the phones at AT&T retail locations. (WFAA.com)

6:38 p.m. Sunday: A Fort Worth shelter in Fort Worth is now housing 98 evacuees. The shelter is located at the Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center at 5105 C.A. Roberson. (WFAA.com)

AP

Carl Bates, left, and his brother Deshawn sit in the back seat of their family vehicle as they take a break from their evacuation while in Orange, Texas.

6:26 p.m. Sunday: The Dallas Convention Center has taken in about 500 people. Evacuees with pets are encouraged to register at the center, which currently has 13 dogs and one cat that are being taken care of by Dallas Animal Services. (WFAA.com)

6:25 p.m. Sunday: Satellite imagery now suggests that Gustav may finally be getting a little better organized as it moves toward the Louisiana coast. The eye is trying to reform, and new thunderstorms are beginning to develop around it. However, a large pocket of dry air is located to the west and south of Gustav. If the circulation around the hurricane pulls this dry air toward the center, this could limit rapid intensification of the storm. (Steve McCauley)

5:45 p.m. Sunday: The Volunteer Center of North Texas has appealed for volunteers to help at shelters by serving meals to Hurricane Gustav evacuees. The center said volunteers will also serve in other roles. Those who would like to volunteer can register at www.volunteernorthtexas.org/volunteercenter or call 1-866-797-8268.

5:30 p.m. Sunday: Baton Rouge is the largest city that will be closest to the eye of the hurricane as it moves through central Louisiana. The system is about 12 hours away from bringing hurricane-forced winds to the Baton Rouge area. During the day Monday, the city could see wind gusts over 100 mph. Hurricane Gustav, which is presently at a 3, is about 215 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River. The forward speed has increased as it moves northwest at 18 mph. Landfall is expected at 7 a.m. At 9 a.m., Gustav should be just west of Baton Rouge. And at 7 p.m., Gustav will have travelled to East Texas and have downgraded to a tropical depression. (Pete Delkus in Baton Rouge)

4:58 p.m. Sunday: While Denton County already activated its Emergency Operations Center Friday morning, county officials are also working to activate four shelters. A statement sent out by the county said Denton is working with the American Red Cross on the shelters. A help line has been set up for information for evacuees who are staying in Denton County. The phone numbers is 940-349-4270. Donations can be made to help assist Denton County's efforts through the Denton County United Way. (WFAA.com)

4:34 p.m. Sunday: State officials have helped evacuate and shelter nearly 10,000 people with special needs from southeast Texas in anticipation of Hurricane Gustav. Texas was also readying to take in an estimated 45,000 evacuees from Louisiana. Hurricane Gustav was wavering between a Category 3 and 4 on Sunday and heading toward the Gulf Coast with frightening strength and size. So far, three Texas counties have issued mandatory evacuations. They are Hardin, Jefferson and Orange and include the cities of Beaumont and Port Arthur. State personnel and resources also have been used to help the evacuation of some 1,000 Louisiana residents with health issues. The governor's office says 27 buses carrying Louisiana residents who could not evacuate themselves are on their way to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. (Associated Press)

3:42 p.m. Sunday: The City of Fort Worth is preparing to open three more shelters for guests leaving the Gulf Coast as Hurricane Gustav approaches, bringing the total to eight. Ten buses with evacuees from the New Orleans area were expected to arrive at the Wilkerson-Greines Activity Center by 7:30 p.m. From there, they will be dispatched to the shelter sites. (WFAA-TV)
•  Read the full story

3:25 p.m. Sunday: Gustav continues to defy expectations as it continues to lose a little of its strength in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Winds have diminished to 115 mph, down from 150 mph yesterday evening. Forecast models insist that Gustav will strengthen in the next 12 to 24 hours making landfall as a major hurricane south of Houma, LA. Some of the models are suggesting that Gustav may even strike farther to the west. If this trend continues, the Dallas/Fort Worth area could see more of an impact from Gustav beginning late Tuesday. (Steve McCauley)

AP

Becky McMurtry walks by her boarded up house in Lafayette, Texas.

2:14 p.m. Sunday: Dozens of Dallas-area hotels are offering special discounts to evacuees from Hurricane Gustav. (WFAA-TV)
• LIST: Participating hotels

1:48 p.m. Sunday: The City of Dallas has learned from the State of Texas that North Texas will not be receiving the 4,100 expected New Orleans-area residents displaced by Hurricane Gustav. Instead, 10 bus loads of displaced residents will be transported to the Dallas Convention Center shelter location. The buses are expected to arrive later this evening. The Convention Center shelter location can accommodate up to 1,000 people. People from New Orleans and other Gulf Coast cities who have self-evacuated to the Dallas-Fort Worth area should call 211 for assistance referrals. (WFAA-TV)

12:58 p.m. Sunday: At a news conference Sunday afternoon, Lousiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said all 64 parishes (Louisiana's equivilent of a county) have now declared a state of emergency as Gustav nears. "It's extremely likely this storm is going to hit the coast of Louisiana," Jindal said. "Now is the time to evacuate ... it is time to take this storm seriously. It is not time to panic, it is not time to be fearful." He urged coastal residents to get in their cars and to head north. Jindal also outlined preparations being made to deal with the anticipated impact of a hurricane that could reach Category 4 intensity at landfall with a powerful storm surge. Jindal thanked other states, including Texas, for offering manpower, equipment and shelter for evacuees. (WWL-TV)

11:43 a.m. Sunday: President Bush is urging Gulf residents to evacuate the hurricane region, warning of "significant flooding" in the wake of Hurricane Gustav. He will not go to the Republican National Convention on Monday as previously planned. "I intend to go down to San Antonio, where state and local officials are pre-positioning relief materials for Texas and Louisiana," the president said. "I hope to get down to Louisiana as soon as conditions permit." (WFAA.com and the Associated Press)
• VIDEO: Watch the president's statement

AP

Harry Janoswky prays before Mass at a church in New Orleans' French Quarter.

10:31 a.m. Sunday: At a news conference, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said as many as 15,000 people fled the city overnight as Hurricane Gustav approaches. While evacuation bus service is scheduled to end at noon Sunday, the mayor said limited service would continue until mid-afternoon to accomodate stragglers. "This is still a big, ugly storm," Nagin said. "It's still strong, and I strongly urge everyone to leave." In addition to high winds and a storm surge, Nagin said forecasters are warning of a possibility of tornadoes staring Sunday night. He said the contraflow plan to use all lanes of major highways to accelearate evacuees was "moving slowly." He also had a stern warning for anyone thinking about looting an abandoned city: "You will go directly to Angola prison, and God bless you if you go there." Nagin said the city has increased police and National Guard presence to protect property. (WFAA.com and WWL-TV)
• VIDEO: Watch the mayor's warning to looters

AP

About 200 evacuees from Beaumont, Texas arrived in Tyler.

9:24 a.m. Sunday: Mandatory evacuations have started in parts of southeast Texas. Residents in Sabine Pass, a port city battered three years ago by Hurricane Rita, have been ordered out of the area first. Evacuations are set to continue through midday across a three-county region stretching to the Louisiana state line, with the last mandatory evacuation starting at noon in Beaumont. In Galveston County, 200 buses are ready and waiting to help anyone who needs to evacuate if Gustav hits the area. In comparison to Rita and Katrina, the buses are three days early, just in case the drivers need to drive the people of Galveston County to higher ground. There are enough buses to help the elderly, infirmed and anyone who would not be able to escape on their own. "At this time we do not plan to evacuate anybody in Galveston. But if we do we'll use these buses to evacuate the special needs population," said B. C. Clawson, Texas City Emergency Management. (KHOU-TV and the Associated Press)

9:05 a.m. Sunday: Cubans returned from shelters to find flooded homes and washed-out roads Sunday, but no deaths were reported after a monstrous Hurricane Gustav roared across the island and into the oil-rich Gulf of Mexico. At least 300,000 Cubans were evacuated before Gustav made landfall on Cuba's Isla de la Juventud, then again on the Cuban mainland in the region that produces much of the tobacco used to make the nation's famed cigars. (Associated Press)
•  Read the full story

8:18 a.m. Sunday: The mandatory evacuation of New Orleans ahead of Hurricane Gustav began this morning, with residents on the city's vulnerable West Bank told to start leaving first. By noon, residents in the rest of the city were supposed to be out of their homes and heading to safety. City officials were nervously watching Hurricane Gustav's track. The storm had picked up speed and was moving northwest at 16 mph with winds of 120 mph. It was projected to make landfall as early Monday, and could bring a storm surge of up to 20 feet to the coast and rainfall totals of up to 15 inches. (Associated Press)

8:15 a.m. Sunday: President Bush is unlikely to attend the Republican convention in Minnesota as scheduled Monday because of concerns about Hurricane Gustav, the White House said Sunday. Bush planned to get an update on preparations for the storm, which could make landfall along the Gulf Coast as early as Monday, from disaster relief officials and state and local representatives late Sunday morning. After visiting the Federal Emergency Management Agency's operations center, the president was expected to make a statement about the situation. (Associated Press)
•  Read the full story

6 a.m. Sunday: Apparently, passing over western Cuba took a heavier toll on Gustav than earlier estimated. Gustav has weakened to a Category 3 storm with winds down to 125 mph. This is still a major hurricane, but not as strong as earlier forecast. The path of the storm, however, remains unchanged. It is still expected to move into the Louisiana coastline late Monday afternoon in Terrebonne Bay, about 50 to 60 miles southwest of New Orleans. The remnants will then move into east Texas bringing the DFW area a chance for showers and storms, but it appears the flooding rains will stay east of us. But any deviation in the path of the storm could alter that forecast. (Steve McCauley)

AP

New Orleans police patrolled an empty French Quarter.

1:59 a.m. Sunday: Early Sunday, Hurricane Gustav's center was about 485 miles southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, moving northwest at almost 15 mph. Forecasters say Gustav could hit Category 5 , the highest on the Saffir-Simpson scale used to rate tropical cyclones. That would mean it has winds would be topping of 155 mph. Only three such storms have ever hit the U.S. mainland since they began keeping records. Gustav is expected to hit the Gulf Coast sometime Monday afternoon, somewhere between western Mississippi and East Texas. (Associated Press)

11:42 p.m. Saturday: Critical care patients expected to arrive in North Texas were still on standby late Saturday night. They were scheduled to arrive at D/FW International Airport from the Texas Gulf Coast. More than 100 people from the National Disaster Medical System were waiting for nearly 500 patients.Fifty ambulances are also on call. "We will take the patients off the plane, re-triage and transport them to area hospitals that have listed bed vacancies for us," explained William Bossert, a spokesman for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Each patient will be monitored from takeoff to landing, because transportation creates problems like dehydration. The medics say things are running smoothly so far, because they learned tough lessons from hurricanes Katrina and Rita. (Monika Diaz)

11 p.m. Saturday: Dallas city officials said late Saturday night that the Samuell Grand Recreation Center, 6200 E. Grand Ave., is full. Evacuees can call 211 in Dallas for shelter referrals. North Texas is expecting to receive 4,100 people from New Orleans beginning Sunday. Those being evacuated will be routed to area shelters, including the Dallas Convention Center, which can accommodate 1,000 people. (Eric Garcia, The Dallas Morning News)

AP

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin issued an evacuation order.

10:14 p.m. Saturday: New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin gave the mandatory order late Saturday to evacuate the Crescent City, but all day long, residents took to buses, trains, planes and cars — clogging roadways leading away from New Orleans, still reeling three years after Hurricane Katrina flooded 80 percent of the city and killed about 1,600 across the region. The evacuation of New Orleans becomes mandatory at 8 a.m. Sunday along the vulnerable west bank of the Mississippi River, and at noon on the east bank. Nagin called Gustav the "mother of all storms" and told residents to "get out of town. This is not the one to play with." "This is the real deal, this is not a test," Nagin said as he issued the order, warning residents that staying would be "one of the biggest mistakes you could make in your life." He emphasized that the city will not offer emergency services to anyone who chooses to stay behind. Nagin did not immediately order a curfew, which would allow officials to arrest residents if they are not on their property. (Associated Press)
• VIDEO: Watch Mayor Nagin's news conference

10 p.m. Saturday: The eye of Hurricane Gustav is now over the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. However, the mountains of western Cuba did cause Gustav to weaken slightly. Maximum sustained winds are down to 140 mph, but this remains a very dangerous storm. This weakening should only be temporary as the eye is currently moving over very warm ocean waters. Gustav could reach Category 5 status over the Gulf, but it is expected to make landfall as a Category 4 storm in Louisiana by early Monday evening. The highest probability for a strike is in Terrebonne Bay, about 60 miles southwest of New Orleans. (Steve McCauley)

7:30 p.m. Saturday: Hurricane Gustav is emerging from the western tip of Cuba and is heading now for the open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The eye of the storm looks much more ragged than it did just a few hours ago which implies some weakening has occurred as it crossed Cuba. However, it is now poised to pass over some very warm water, and further strengthening is likey with Gustav becoming a Category 5 storm in the next 24 hours. (Steve McCauley)

6:20 p.m. Saturday: A mission to transport critical care patients to Dallas has been put on hold. They were due to arrive from the Texas coast at D/FW International Airport this evening. Dozens of people are ready for the mission. 50 ambulances are due to transport the patients. (Monika Diaz)

5:41 p.m. Saturday: President Bush, faced with the prospect of a second monster hurricane striking the still-battered Gulf Coast on his watch, checked in with governors and federal officials Saturday to make sure Washington was doing all it can. He prepared for the possibility of travel to the region and designated two more states eligible for federal help ahead of Hurricane Gustav's landfall. The president called state leaders in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas in the early morning from the White House before heading out for a 90-minute bike ride, spokesman Scott Stanzel said. Those states are in the potential path of the hurricane, which has been cutting a deadly route through the Caribbean and picked up even more power Saturday, probably en route to a terrifying Category 5 designation. (Associated Press)

5:18 p.m. Saturday: Spooked by predictions that Hurricane Gustav could grow into a Category 5 monster, an estimated 1 million residents fled the Gulf Coast Saturday -- well ahead of the official order to get out of the way of a storm taking dead aim at Louisiana. Residents took to buses, trains, planes and cars -- clogging roadways leading away from New Orleans, still reeling three years after Hurricane Katrina flooded 80 percent of the city and killed about 1,600 across the region. Gustav had already killed more than 80 people in the Caribbean, and if current forecasts hold up, it would make landfall Monday afternoon somewhere between the northeast corner of Texas and western Mississippi. Forecasters warned it was still too soon to say whether New Orleans would take another direct hit, but residents weren't taking any chances judging by the bumper-to-bumper traffic pouring from the city. Gas stations along interstate highways were running out of fuel, and phone circuits were jammed. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said they were surprised at how quickly Gustav gained strength as it charged toward Cuba. It went from a tropical storm to a Category 4 hurricane in about 24 hours, and was likely to become a Category 5 -- with sustained winds of 156 mph or more -- by Sunday. (Associated Press)

5:05 p.m. Saturday: Residents in areas ravaged by Hurricane Rita three years ago began fleeing Saturday ahead of what authorities said would be a mandatory evacuation order as Gustav strengthened into a powerful Category 4 storm. Gov. Rick Perry, meanwhile, called on Texas to prepare for potentially 45,000 evacuees from Louisiana, where roads began clogging with traffic as a million people took to Gulf Coast highways. Jefferson and Orange counties in Texas planned issuing an evacuation order at 6 a.m. Sunday, and officials urged people to pack up pets and 10 days worth of clothes and supplies in case Gustav delivered another Rita-like punch to the area. The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch Saturday stretching from east of High Island, located just south of Beaumont, to the Alabama-Florida border. (Associated Press)

4:50 p.m. Saturday: Royal Dutch Shell, BP and other oil companies wrapped up evacuations and shut down production Saturday as an intensifying Hurricane Gustav churned toward the petroleum-rich waters of the Gulf of Mexico. As of midday Saturday, slightly more than three-fourths of the Gulf's oil production and nearly 40 percent of its natural gas output had been shut down, according to the U.S. Minerals Management Service, which oversees offshore activity. Shell said it was on schedule to complete the evacuation of more than 1,300 workers from 20 production platforms and other facilities by Saturday afternoon. The task took four days and involved 17 helicopters. BP said it also planned to have its workers evacuated Saturday. Both oil giants said production was being completely shut off -- a process that can involve closing safety valves in thousands of feet of water to prevent the release of oil or natural gas. Analysts say prolonged supply disruptions could cause a sudden price uptick for gasoline and other petroleum products. (Associated Press)

4:07 p.m. Saturday: The National Hurricane Center has issued a hurricane watch for Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and part of Texas. The watch area includes New Orleans, where residents marked the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's devastation on Friday. The watch stretches from east of High Island, Texas, to the Alabama-Florida border. Forecasters say Hurricane Gustav is a powerful Atlantic storm taking aim at Louisiana and will likely become a Category 5 with sustained winds of 160 mph or more by Sunday. A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 36 hours. A million people were taking to Gulf Coast highways Saturday, boarding up homes and businesses and fleeing Gustav. A tropical storm watch was also issued along the Panhandle coast of Florida. (Associated Press)

3:58 p.m. Saturday: Hurricane watch issued from High Island, Texas, east to Ala.-Fla. border as Gustav approaches. (Associated Press)

2:30 p.m. Saturday: The government's disaster relief chief says Hurricane Gustav is growing into a monster Category 5 storm. The storm that hit Cuba Saturday could reach landfall along the Gulf Coast by early Tuesday. Federal Emergency Management Agency chief David Paulison told reporters several times at a briefing Saturday that the storm was strengthening into a Category 5 hurricane. FEMA officials said Bill Read, the director of the National Hurricane Center, interrupted an afternoon teleconference involving the agency, Gulf Coast states and the National Weather Service to say he is going to issue a special advisory statement raising Gustav to Category 5. That means winds greater than 155 mph and a storm surge greater than 18 feet above normal. Word about the Category 5 development reached FEMA shortly before Paulison briefed reporters. (Associated Press)

2:21 p.m. Saturday: The Federal Emergency Management Agency says Hurricane Gustav has intensified to a Category 5 storm, the highest level, packing winds greater than 155 mph. (Associated Press)

2:08 p.m. Saturday: Barack Obama is expressing his hope that the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina three years ago will help to protect the Gulf Coast from Hurricane Gustav this time. His running mate, Joe Biden, is urging people to pray that the levees in New Orleans hold. The Democratic candidates say a properly orchestrated evacuation will be key to protecting the Gulf Coast. Biden says the region appears more ready for a major hurricane this time than it was for Katrina. He says it appears officials are "incredibly well prepared, much better than they had before." Biden says, "Just pray to God that those levees hold." (Associated Press)

AP

A boy carries a rooster as he is evacuated to a temporary shelter as Hurricane Gustav approaches in Batabano, Cuba.

1:32 p.m. Saturday:This sort of dilemma also could have implications for the GOP convention as a whole. If the storm's landfall is serious, Republican John McCain said he probably would rethink allowing the four-day political gathering to continue. "It just wouldn't be appropriate to have a festive occasion while a near tragedy or a terrible challenge is presented in the form of a natural disaster," McCain said. (Associated Press)

12:38 p.m. Saturday: The threat of Hurricane Gustav has some counties along the Texas coast ordering mandatory evacuations for people with special needs. Authorities in Hardin, Orange and Jefferson counties Saturday were making arrangements for residents with no transportation and other special needs, such as medical disabilities, to leave the area. Jill Frillou, a spokeswoman for Orange County, said a voluntary evacuation in place for the general population could become a mandatory order as early as Sunday morning. Gustav strengthened Saturday to a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 145 mph. Forecasters say the storm could hit anywhere from Texas to the Florida Panhandle. (Associated Press)

12:26 p.m. Saturday: Forecasters say Gustav has strengthened to a Category 4 storm, with winds near 145 mph. (Associated Press)

12:20 p.m. Saturday: The City of Dallas is advising residents who wish to help evacuees relocating to North Texas because of Gustav to help in the following ways: 1. DONATIONS to help purchase FOOD can be made to the North Texas Food Bank through their Web site: North Texas Food Bank 2. DONATIONS to help purchase OTHER ESSENTIALS can be made to the Salvation Army through their Web site: Salvation Army 3. VOLUNTEERS may register for assignments with the Volunteer Center of North Texas through their Web site: Volunteer Center of North Texas PLEASE NOTE: Residents should NOT drop donations at the Dallas Convention Center shelter location NOR should they come to the Dallas Convention Center shelter location to offer volunteer assistance. Donations and volunteering should be routed through the agencies suggested above, or by contacting your favorite local charity. Dallas expects to receive no more than 1,000 persons, which is the approximate capacity of the Dallas Convention Center shelter location. (City of Dallas)

11:36 a.m. Saturday: In New Orleans, lines of people waiting for buses to take them out of the city grew longer Saturday and traffic grew heavier on main highways as Hurricane Gustav strengthened into a dangerous storm on track for the Gulf Coast. A line well over a mile long stretched in six loops through the parking lot at Union Passenger Terminal. Under a blazing sun, many led children or pushed strollers with one hand and pulled luggage with the other. Volunteers handed out bottled water, and medics were nearby in case people became heatsick. (Associated Press)

10:21 a.m. Saturday: President Bush called Gulf Coast governors Saturday and told them they would have the full support of the federal government, White House spokesman Scott Stanzel said. Mayor Ray Nagin's spokeswoman said buses and trains would begin Saturday taking the city's estimated 30,000 residents who are disabled, elderly or need help leaving the area to shelters in central and northern Louisiana, as well as out of the state. The storm has already killed 78 people in the Caribbean, and forecasters said it had become the second major hurricane of the Atlantic season, following Bertha in July. At 11 a.m. EDT, the center of Gustav was about 185 miles east of the western tip of Cuba. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 125 mph, just 6 mph shy of the Category 4 threshold. The center of Gustav was to pass over western Cuba later Saturday and strengthening is forecast after it reaches the Gulf of Mexico. (Associated Press)

9:55 a.m. Saturday: Starting today, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport will serve as an arrival point for as many as 500 critical care patients who will be airlifted from various hospitals along the Gulf Coast. The patients will be flown in on military C-130 medical evacuation aircraft, and those arriving at D/FW will be placed on ambulances for transport to as many as 20 hospitals around the entire North Texas region. Arrivals are expected to begin between noon and 3 p.m. (Brian Murnihan, D/FW Airport)

9:04 a.m. Saturday: Government officials are urging residents of the Cayman Islands to remain in shelters until the all-clear is given. Hurricane Gustav battered the three tiny islands south of Cuba overnight with winds up to 100 mph. Many sections of the islands remained without power Saturday morning, and debris on roadways was making travel difficult on Cayman Brac. (Radio Cayman)

8:30 a.m. Saturday: As New Orleans city officials started evacuation plans, some residents weren't waiting to be told to leave. Cars packed with clothes, boxes and pet carriers drove north among heavy traffic on Interstate 55, a major route out of the city. Gas stations around the city hummed. And nursing homes and hospitals began sending patients farther inland. "I'm getting out of here. I can't take another hurricane," said Ramona Summers, 59, whose house flooded during Katrina. She hurried to help friends gather their belongings. Her car was already packed for Gonzales, nearly 60 miles away to the west of New Orleans. (Associated Press)

7:51 a.m. Saturday: Texas Baptist Men volunteers in Dallas are loading vehicles based bound for at least five staging areas along the Gulf Coast in advance of Hurricane Gustav. (WFAA-TV)

AP

Heavy surf battered George Town in the Cayman Islands early Saturday.

7:38 a.m. Saturday: Gustav swelled to a fearsome Category 3 hurricane with winds of 120 mph (195 kph) as it shrieked toward the heartland of Cuba's cigar industry Saturday on a track to hit the U.S. Gulf Coast three years after Hurricane Katrina. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami called the storm, which has already killed 71 people in the Caribbean, "dangerous" and said it had become the second major hurricane of the Atlantic season, following Bertha in July. Cuban state television announced that all buses and trains to and from Havana were suspended, as was ferry service to the Isla de Juventud, the outlying Cuban island next in Gustav's path. Authorities announced they were prepared to "protect" the 20,000 tourists in Matanzas province, which includes the famous beach resort of Varadero. (Associated Press)

5:16 a.m. Saturday: The National Weather Service says Gustav is now a Category 3 hurricane, packing winds nearly 115 mph. (Associated Press)

3:46 a.m. Saturday: Louisiana's governor says evacuation of coastal parishes will likely begin today as Hurricane Gustav whips toward the Gulf Coast. Some people in New Orleans aren't waiting to be told to leave; traffic out of town was heavy on Friday and gas stations were jam-packed. Gov. Bobby Jindal said the state will probably switch interstate lanes on Sunday so that all traffic flows north. Nursing homes and hospitals are already sending patients farther inland. City officials have drawn up plans to evacuate New Orleans, a call that could come as early as Sunday. Police and firefighters are set to go street-to-street with bullhorns to urge people to leave. The city says those who stay accept "all responsibility for themselves and their loved ones." (Associated Press)

1:29 a.m. Saturday: The National Hurricane Center says Gustav has strengthened to a Category 2 hurricane with winds near 100 mph. At this hour, the storm is passing the Cayman Islands, located west of Jamaica and south of Cuba. The storm was closest to the two "sister islands" of the three-island chain, Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. Radio Cayman relayed a telephone report from a long-time resident of Little Cayman, the smallest of the three islands. He said there appeared to be extensive damage on the 10-square-mile island that has a permanent population of about 160 people. The Little Cayman resident said he was weathering the storm in his truck after driving to a high point on the low-lying island. He said his home had been inundated by sea water, and that this was the worst storm he's seen in his 19 years on Little Cayman, with winds in excess of 100 mph. On Grand Cayman, the population center of the British overseas territory, there were reports of power outages and gusty winds, but no serious damage was reported. A weather observer on Grand Cayman phoned in to Radio Cayman to report wind speeds in excess of 60 mph. As of 1 a.m. CT Saturday, Gustav was centered about 50 miles northeast of Grand Cayman island and moving northwest near 12 mph. The center of Gustav was expected to move away from the Cayman Islands on Saturday morning and move over western Cuba later Saturday afternoon and evening. (WFAA.com and Associated Press)
• LINK: Listen to Radio Cayman live

AP

Evacuations taking place in Luling, Texas.

8:37 p.m. Friday: Texas Gov. Rick Perry activated nearly 5,000 National Guard troops Friday and ordered state agencies to prepare for the worst in anticipation of a hit from Hurricane Gustav. "We will continue to watch the storm closely and ramp up our efforts as conditions dictate," Perry said. "We will be ready regardless of what Mother Nature sends our way." (Associated Press)

7:29 p.m. Friday: Police with bullhorns plan to go street to street this weekend with a tough message about getting out ahead of Hurricane Gustav: This time there will be no shelter of last resort. The doors to the Superdome will be locked. Those who stay will be on their own. New forecasts Friday made it increasingly clear that New Orleans will get some kind of hit -- direct or indirect -- by early next week. That raised the likelihood people would have to flee, and the city suggested a full-scale evacuation call could come as soon as Sunday. (Associated Press)

6:00 p.m. Friday: Hurricane Katrina victims still living in temporary housing along Mississippi's coastline should begin evacuating this weekend as Gustav approaches the Gulf Coast, Gov. Haley Barbour said Friday. Forecasters say the storm, which again strengthened to a hurricane on Friday afternoon, could hit anywhere from the Florida Panhandle to Texas next week. They caution, though, that it is difficult to predict a storm's track and strength several days in advance. (Associated Press)

5:30 p.m. Friday: Hurricane Gustav is located 100 miles east of Grand Cayman (or about 380 miles ESE of the western tip of Cuba) in the Carribean moving to the northwest at 12 mph. The ocean waters in this area are very warm and will allow for significant strengthening as Gustav moves into the Gulf of Mexico by tomorrow afternoon. At this time Gustav is expected to become a major hurricane this weekend with winds in excess of 125 mph as it spins in the Gulf. Computer models are suggesting that the track of the storm may take it near the Texas-Louisiana border by Tuesday morning. But this is still several days away, and thus the forecast is subject to change, so stay tuned for updates. (Steve McCauley)

3:54 p.m. Friday: In an interview with Channel 8's sister station, WWL-TV, New Orleans City Council President Jackie Clarkson said that a mandatory evacuation is likely for Saturday. (WWL-TV)
• VIDEO: Watch the interview with Jackie Clarkson

3:43 p.m. Friday: North Texas Food Bank officials are ready to provide emergency food assistance for Hurricane Gustav victims if needed. The NTFB food distribution center has 300 emergency family food boxes packed with items including cereal, rice, beans and canned goods ready to be shipped to affected areas. 10,000 fully prepared meals are also ready for local shelters as well as snacks and water for canteens. (NTFB)
• LINK: North Texas Food Bank

3:39 p.m. Friday: Because of the threat from Hurricane Gustav, American Airlines says passengers traveling to or from the Dominican Republic, Grand Cayman, Haiti or Jamaica will be able to change their travel plans without penalty if the original tickets had been issued from August 25 through September 4 and the ticket was issued no later than August 24. You can change your reservation as late as September 4. (WFAA-TV)
• LINK: American Airlines Hurricane Gustav travel policy

3:38 p.m. Friday: Dallas County is planning to declare an emergency during a special meeting at 4:30 p.m. The governor's office has asked the county to accept more than 4,000 evacuees fleeing Hurricane Gustav if necessary. (Dallas Morning News)

2:45 p.m. Friday: Gustav becomes a hurricane. The Category 1 storm has top sustained winds of around 75 miles per hour, and is still on track to hit near the Cayman Islands tonight and Western Cuba by tomorrow afternoon. (WFAA-TV)