"(Gustav) is a large system similar to Katrina. The difference, at this moment, is that it's asymmetric. It doesn't have a uniform coverage like Katrina," said Chris Sisko, a meteorologist for the National Hurricane Center.
Clouds were already rolling in along the Gulf Coast, and the skies were beginning to darken. Rain could begin falling as early as Sunday night on New Orleans.
It had also picked up speed on leaving Cuba and was moving northwest at 17 mph with winds of 115 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center's 2 p.m. ET advisory. The center also warned that Gustav could spawn tornadoes along the coast.
16-foot storm surge possible
Gustav could bring a storm surge of up to 16 feet to the coast and rainfall totals of up to 20 inches. Hurricane-force winds extended 50 miles from the storm's center, and tropical storm-force winds 200 miles.
The comparisons to Katrina come easily.
Both Gustav and Katrina intensified rapidly in the Gulf of Mexico, but Katrina intensified after making landfall in Florida while Gustav hit Cuba first. Forecasters say Gustav also is moving more quickly than Katrina.
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clipped from today.msnbc.msn.com
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