The ArkLaTex can expect to begin feeling the effects of the outer fringes of Hurricane Gustav on Monday, forecasters said. The rough weather, including very heavy rain and winds, is expected to arrive Tuesday and continue at least through Wednesday.

A forecast path calls for the storm to move into Northwest Louisiana and then curve into East Texas.

Gustav will not be a hurricane by the time its reaches Northwest Louisiana, but it could spawn tornadoes.

Natchitoches Parish could see winds of 60-70 mph on Tuesday. The rest of the ArkLaTex will likely see steady 30-to-50 mph winds during the day Tuesday.

The weather could resemble what happened three years ago when the remnants of Hurricane Rita came through the ArkLaTex -- although Rita moved through in less than a day. A weakening Gustav could be here for up to three days.

Even more dangerous than the winds could be the rain, forecasters said. It the storm moves through this area, there could be steady rainfall for most of Tuesday and Wednesday, and possibly into Thursday. Rainfall could be more than a foot in some locations.

Local government has been making preparations for flooding, including preparing sandbags and clearing out ditches.