Thousands in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama were being told early Monday to leave their Gulf Coast homes ahead of the arrival of Tropical Storm Isaac as forecasters warned it was gaining strength as it followed the same path Hurricane Katrina took seven years earlier. The governors of the three states each declared a state of emergency, with Alabama Governor Robert Bentley ordering mandatory evacuations to begin at 8 a.m. CT (9 a.m. ET) for residents who live along the coast and for those in some low-lying areas inland. "I am urging everyone to take precautions now, monitor weather warnings, and be prepared for whatever Isaac may bring," Bentley said in a statement released Sunday. A hurricane warning was issued for the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico, from Morgan City, Louisiana, east to Destin, Florida, the National Hurricane Center said. The tropical storm was expected to make landfall late Tuesday or Wednesday -- Katrina's anniversary -- as a Category 2 hurricane with winds of at least 96 mph, according to a report of CNN.
