Everybody in the gulf coast really needs to keep an eye on this catagory 4 monster i should say. The latest computer models have this going as far west as new orleans. I dont see in anyway how this is going to turn out as a trough of low pressure is going to come from central plains. Here what one meteorologist thinks about the storms path !!!

I personally have a hard time believing a storm that is at this latitude (already at 23 north) will go west through the Gulf in September. And with the trough already into the central Plains, I have to believe Ike will be tugged on to steer it more and more toward the north over time.

Of course, there's the complicating factor that suggests the trough will lift enough so that it never really can grab Ike. But that suggests to me more of a stall tactic, rather than an aggressive move to the west. Still, it is an option and, until we get more agreement in the modeling, or the atmosphere shows its hand, so to speak, all options have to be left open, my leanings notwithstanding!