Hurricane Gustav Slams into Louisiana

Hurricane Gustav has brought strong winds and rains into New Orleans. The storm slammed into Louisiana early on Monday.

The National Hurricane Center said Gustav weakened to a Category 2 shortly before making landfall early on MOnday. The storm brought hurricane force winds and torrential rain to Louisiana's coast.

Hurricane Gustav currently has sustained wind speeds of around 110 mph.

The storm has caused one of the largest evacuations in U.S. history. Over 2 million people fled the Gulf Coast.

In New Orleans, only 10,000 were believed to have remained. More than 11 million residents in five U.S. states were threatened by the storm.

New Orleans residents that remained during the storm reported only power outages. They shared relief that the storm is less destructive than originally feared. Moreover, less damaging than Katrina.

Forecasters said the storm weakened just before landfall, making it a Category 2 storm on the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale. Previously, forecasters predicted a Category 4 landfall.

The hurricane is 20 miles southwest of Port Fourchon, Louisiana. The area is a key logistical support center for offshore oil rigs.