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New Orleans prepares as Katrina anniversary looms

Gustav is expected to become a Category 2 hurricane as it moves between Cuba and Jamaica, then head toward the U.S. Gulf Coast as a dangerous Category 3 hurricane next week after passing over warm waters.

But forecasters warned that the average error in five-day forecasts is about 500 kilometres in either direction, meaning the storm could hit anywhere from south Texas to the Florida panhandle.

Even so, New Orleans officials on Wednesday declared a pre-storm state of emergency, put 3,000 National Guard troops on standby and began planning for possible evacuations and advising those living along the coast to prepare for the storm, which could strike the city on the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's arrival on Thursday.

New Orleans was left devastated by the 2005 storm, which flooded more than 80 per cent of the city and was blamed for the deaths of nearly 1,500 people.

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