古斯塔夫暴風中心在紐奧良西南方72英里、路易斯安那州塔瑞邦郡科克德里市附近登陸時，強度較預測的微弱，減為2級颶風，登陸間時約為當地早上10點；氣象預測曾預警，以颶風規模1到5級來看，古斯塔夫颶風強度可能會達到嚴重的4級颶風。
挾帶每小時110英里的強風，古斯塔夫引發的海浪幾乎快越過紐奧良的工業運河大堤，所幸此次暴風不像3年前的卡崔娜颶風，破壞了這個低窪城市脆弱的防洪堤，導致整個城市被水淹沒。
31日紐奧良市長那金宣佈強制撤離的命令後，近200萬人自墨西哥灣撤離，這也是自卡崔娜之後第一次大規模的撤離行動。
墨西哥灣地區主要供電來源安特吉電力公司表示，暴風侵襲讓路易斯安那州近50萬人無電可用，預計受影響的人數將會持續增加。
安特吉公司設立於紐奧良附近的Waterford 3號核能發電廠，31日晚上已暫時停止運作，由於需求減少，另一座位於路易斯安那州St. Francisville的河濱核電廠供電量也降為75%。
此外，氣象報告預測，古斯塔夫颶風預計將在路易斯安那州、密西西比西南部、阿肯色州和德州東北地區帶來6到12英吋的累積雨量，並且可能在4號當日降下20英吋的最大雨量，而幾個小型龍捲風會在1日下午越過墨西哥灣。
政府機關在面對此次颶風警報時，已較卡崔娜颶風時做好更完善的應變措施，私人救援單位也伸出援手來協助撤離的民眾。
世界展望會與當地教堂、社區夥伴合作，提供路易斯安那州和墨西哥灣的撤離民眾住宿地點，以及尿布、成人幼童的換洗衣物、洗髮精、香皂、除臭劑、衛生紙、紙巾、紙盤、玩具等民生用品。
那金市長表示，一旦道路上斷裂的樹枝和電纜清除完畢後，紐奧良居民最快在3號就可以回到自己的家園。
Weaker than feared, the center of Hurricane Gustav made landfall as a Category 2 storm near the small town of Cocodrie in Terrebonne parish on the Louisiana coast 72 miles southwest of New Orleans. The storm hit about 10 this morning local time. Forecasters had warned that the Gustav might blow in as a disastrous Category 4 on the hurricane scale of 1 to 5.
Packing winds of 110 mph, Gustav pushed water over the top of the Industrial Canal floodwall in New Orleans, but appears to have spared the low-lying city's vulnerable levee system that was breached in several places during Hurricane Katrina three years ago, flooding the city.
Nearly two million people fled the Gulf coast, after New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin issued a mandatory evacuation order for Sunday morning, the first such evacuation since Katrina.
Nearly half a million customers have lost power in Louisiana due to the storm, and many more are expected, according to Entergy, the utility that serves the central Gulf Coast.
Entergy's Waterford 3 Nuclear Plant near New Orleans completed a controlled shutdown on Sunday night. The River Bend Nuclear Plant in St. Francisville, Louisiana, is powering down to 75 percent due to reduced demand.
In addition, Gustav is expected to produce total rainfall accumulations of six to 12 inches over parts of Louisiana, southern and western Mississippi, Arkansas and northeastern Texas with isolated maximum amounts of up to 20 inches possible through Thursday.
A few tornadoes are possible over the central Gulf coast this afternoon, forecasters said.
Government agencies are better prepared for this storm than they were for Katrina, and private relief agencies also are helping evacuees.
World Vision is working with local church and community partners who are housing evacuees from Louisiana and the Gulf Coast to supply families with diapers; clothing for babies, children and adults; shampoo, soap and deodorant; toilet paper, napkins, paper plates and toys.
Mayor Nagin has mentioned allowing New Orleans residents to return to their homes as early as Wednesday, if roads are cleared of downed tree branches and electrical wires.
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In my healing journey and learning to attain the breath awareness, I become aware of the reality that all the creatures of the world are breathing the same breath. Take action, here and now. From my physical being to the every corner of this out of balance's planet.
