A resident clears tree branches next to felled power lines in Pinar Del Rio in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav August 31, 2008. Gustav moved into the oil-rich Gulf of Mexico on Saturday where it was expected to strengthen and threaten New Orleans after its 150 mile per hour (240 kph) winds cut a swath of destruction through western Cuba. [Agencies]
Tens of thousands of people in New Orleans and the U.S. Gulf Coast fled their homes on Sunday as Hurricane Gustav moved within 24 hours of striking land, possibly with a weaker punch than 2005's Hurricane Katrina.