Labor Day starts with Gustav just off the Louisiana coast.

AT 400 AM CDT…0900Z…THE CENTER OF HURRICANE GUSTAV WAS LOCATED
NEAR LATITUDE 28.4 NORTH…LONGITUDE 89.5 WEST OR ABOUT 115 MILES…
185 KM…SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF NEW ORLEANS LOUISIANA AND ABOUT 195
MILES…315 KM…SOUTHEAST OF LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA. THIS POSITION IS
ALSO ABOUT 65 MILES…105 KM…SOUTHEAST OF PORT FOURCHON ALONG THE
LOUISIANA COAST.

GUSTAV IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 16 MPH…26 KM/HR…AND
THIS MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT DAY OR SO WITH SOME
DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED AND A GRADUAL TURN TOWARD THE WEST-
NORTHWEST ON TUESDAY. ON THE FORECAST TRACK…THE CENTER WILL
CROSS THE LOUISIANA COAST BY MIDDAY TODAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 115 MPH…185 KM/HR…WITH HIGHER
GUSTS. GUSTAV IS A CATEGORY THREE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON
SCALE. NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STRENGTH IS LIKELY BEFORE
LANDFALL…WITH WEAKENING EXPECTED TO BEGIN AFTER GUSTAV MOVES
INLAND LATER TODAY.

Today’s events at the Republican Convention have been pared down to the minimum required to legally conduct business. They are expected to convene at 3pm Central time for a few hours to: Constitute the convention, hear the report of credentials committee, adopt rules for the convention, elect officers, and adopt the party platform.

The rest of the convention schedule and plans will be adjusted based on the landfall and impact of Gustav.