August 28, 2008 Gulf Coast prepares for worst as Gustav approaches Play video

(Josh McElveen, NECN) - Officials in Louisiana are asking people to remain calm as forecasters monitor the track of the system called Gustav.

If it stays on it's current course, an evacuation of New Orleans could be called. A lot of things have changed since Hurricane Katrina, and officials are careful to avoid the missteps that led to the tragedy that started to unfold three years ago tonight.

The first batch of 700 buses that could ferry residents inland are being sent to a staging area near New Orleans. Officials in Mississippi are trying to decide when to move residents along the coast who are still living in temporary homes following Katrina's destruction.

The preliminary planning for the potential evacuation is part of a massive outline drafted after Katrina. The anniversary of that storm is tomorrow and officials say they're confident the post-Katrina blueprints have made them ready for Gustav.

Material from the Associated Press is included in this report.