If Katrina hits NO, it will have no companion in history that I'm aware of.

NO has never been hit by a storm this large - almost nobody has (Camille is rightfully mentioned as an analogy). To anyone focusing only on the forecast track: please do not be so foolish! This storm is HUGE and will cause large swaths of devastation spanning dozens of miles!

Katrina means business, and is large enough to cause problems hundres of miles from her landfall "point". A storm of this size is going to pound cities more than 50 miles from any point listed as landfall, and if that point is in LA, then yes, even folks in the panhandle of Florida need to rush to completion any plans for safety.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but this isn't exactly a storm to ride out or dismiss - she spans hundreds of miles and will continue to deepen for a while. The line between 155 (Cat 4) and 156 (Cat 5) at landfall will make little difference. She's gusting over 180 mph. My car will push 160 and let me tell you - the sheer force of a 180+ mph gust is definitely something that reeks power.