Looks like this could be "Katrina Two" in the making. I'm a structural engineer that moved to Biloxi from Tampa after Katrina and have been to all of the areas hit by hurricanes since Charlie except for those in Texas. While the speeds posted by the NHC is one thing, another possibly more important consideration, is the "size" of the storm. I observed far more "wind" damage from Charlie than Katrina even though Katrina had ten to a hundred times the devastation and size. While watching where this storm goes and the intensity of the wind, I wish there were a way to more accurately predict the size and swath of the storm's surge. Cat 3's are not supposed to have 30 foot surges but it happened. With the potential path of Gustav having plenty of time and distance to push the water towards the coast, my bet is that the storm surge from this hurricane may unfortunately be the story again.