The National Hurricane Center's morning forecast today has Tropical Storm Gustav strengthening to a major Category 3 hurricane and coming ashore on the Louisiana coast just south of Morgan City and Houma at 1 a.m. Tuesday, bringing with it significant storm surge.

The Hurricane Center is forecasting Gustav will move slowly west-northwest after it makes landfall, reaching Lake Charles on Wednesday as a Category 2 hurricane with winds close to 100 mph.

If that path happens, the ArkLaTex can expect major rainfall.

The projected landfall could be affected by a high pressure system and a lower pressure that are in the inland United States. That could send Gustav moving more to the west, the Hurricane Center said.

Sandy Davis, director of homeland security in Shreveport-Bossier, said emergency preparedness officials here are preparing for an influx of evacuees from South Louisiana.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said an evacuation order for that city is likely, but not before Saturday.

Voluntary evacuations south of Interstate 10 are expected Saturday morning. Mandatory evacuation orders are expected to follow later in the day, Davis said. Contraflow traffic -- one-way traffic flow out of the evacuated coastal areas -- is likely by late Saturday afternoon, Davis said.

LSU's season-opening football game against Appalachian State, originally scheduled for 4 p.m. Saturday, has been moved to a 10 a.m. kickoff.

Shelters are beginning to open in Shreveport-Bossier. They will be at Hirsch Coliseum on the state fairgrounds, the old Sam's Club on Jewella Avenue, the former Sports Mall on Interstate 20 in far west Shreveport and LSU-Shreveport.

The Bossier City Civic Center will open as a shelter for those with medical needs at 6 p.m. It is expected to get its first patients on Saturday.

Pet shelters are at the livestock barn at the fairgrounds and animal control in Shreveport and Bossier City.