If evacuations are ordered for Louisiana's Gulf Coast area, the city will have a huge influx of evacuees, homeland security director Sandy Davis said late this morning at a news conference at Government Plaza.

There is a lot of uncertainty about what will happen in the next few days because forecasters don't know what the storm's path will be as it moves across the Gulf of Mexico. Forecasts have called for landfall from Texas to Florida's panhandle early next week.

But state officials were in high gear on evacuations plans -- mindful of the botched state and federal response to Hurricane Katrina three years ago and determined not to repeat it. The state's handling of Katrina sunk the administration of Gov. Kathleen Blanco.

"Don't wait until this storm comes into the Gulf," Gov. Bobby Jindal said at a news conference.

The city of Shreveport is also making preparation in case Gustav makes landfall in Texas or western Louisiana and dumps huge amounts of rain here as it moves inland.

Crews from the streets and drainage department today were clearing debris and vegetation from drainage ditches. They want to reduce the changes of the ditches being clogged as water pours into them.

The state has lined up hundreds of buses to carry people out of New Orleans and other parts of South Louisiana who don't have transportation. Shelters would be set up at Hirsch Coliseum at the fairgrounds, the old Sam's Club on Jewella Avenue and the former Sports Mall off Interstate 20 in far west Shreveport.

Caddo Parish prisoners were at Hirsch today, unloading 5,000 crates that will be used to hold pets that would be evacuated

For people who have their own transportation, shelters will be set up at LSU-Shreveport and Southern University-Shreveport. Those with medical needs will go to the Bossier City Civic Center.