Emergency officials in Mississippi say one of their biggest challenges may be convincing coastal residents who struggled to flee Hurricane Gustav to do it again if Hurricane Ike stays on track to the Gulf of Mexico.
Thousands of Mississippians left their homes along the Gulf Coast last week after evacuations were ordered for Hurricane Gustav, which didn't pack the punch most feared.
Mississippi Emergency Management Agency spokesman Jeff Rent says the focus should be on people who evacuated and struggled to get back home. He says the state is still in a wait-and-see mode for Ike, which is forecast to cross Cuba and skirt Key West by Tuesday as it heads to the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.