"The Mother Of All Storms" heading for the Gulf Coast.

Mayor Ray Nagin of the city of New Orleans has issued a city wide evacuation of 239,000 residents due to the nearing of Hurricane Gustav that has torn its way through the Caribbean after hitting Cuba with winds of nearly 240km/h (150mph) and now making it's way through the Gulf Coast. Gustav was upgraded from a class 4 hurricane to a class 5 the highest possible classification twice as strong than Hurricane Katrina was when it hit New Orleans in 2005, killing some 1,800 people and causing hundreds of billions of dollars in damage.

The Mayor was qouted as saying "Anyone who's thinking of staying - rethink it, get out of town"

Read More and see video here : New Orleans told to flee Gustav