Next week, just days after the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina‘s landfall near New Orleans, a new hurricane could hit the area, causing heavy winds, rain, and political problems aplenty for Republicans. Already, some energy companies drilling for oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico have shut down their operations ahead of the storm’s approach. Gustav, now a tropical storm, pummeled Haiti and the Dominican Republic as a hurricane, causing over 60 deaths. Gustav is forecast to hit the U.S. Gulf Coast in the neighborhood of Louisiana as early as Monday as a Category 3 or 4 hurricane. The Republican National Convention is currently scheduled to begin on Monday in St. Paul, Minn., but due to the perfect political storm of a hurricane potentially hitting the Gulf Coast during a national political convention and also falling within a few days of the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, GOP leaders have said they may consider delaying the convention (and maybe even disinviting President Bush) if indeed the storm gains strength and heads for New Orleans.
