Hurricane Gustav Strikes Land West of New Orleans

Hurricane Gustav made landfall on the Louisiana coast, and it appears that the brunt of the storm will pass to the west of New Orleans..

Republicans Suspend Most of Convention Activities Monday

With Hurricane Gustav heading toward the Gulf Coast, Senator John McCain announced that Republican Party activities on Monday in St. Paul would be suspended except for necessary business. He called on his party members to "take off our Republican hats and put on out American hats."

What the hell does McCain think he is going to do, hold down someone's umbrella?

File under: Nutty

Oil Companies Shutting Down Production as Gustav Closes In

Royal Dutch Shell, BP and other oil companies wrapped up evacuations and shut down production Saturday as an intensifying Hurricane Gustav moved toward 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.

The U.S. Gulf Coast accounts for about 25 percent of domestic oil production and 15 percent of natural gas output. The Gulf Coast also is home to approximately half the nation's refining capacity.

New Orleans Residents Are Ordered Out

City officials ordered everyone to leave New Orleans beginning Sunday morning — the first mandatory evacuation since Hurricane Katrina-as Hurricane Gustav heads into the Gulf.

The storm is 900 miles wide, compared with 400 miles for Katrina, according to New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin.

In a mandatory evacuation of New Orleans, residents are not physically forced to leave, but are subject to arrest outside their houses.

Forecasters say Hurricane Gustav could become a Category 5 storm, the strongest designation on the scale.