Gustav threatens to rain on Republican parade

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NEW ORLEANS, Aug 30 (Agencies) New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ordered the city's more than 239,000 residents to evacuate on Sunday in the face of powerful Hurricane Gustav, which he called the mother of all storms.brThe evacuation order issued on Saturday was the first in New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina devastated the historic Southern city in August 2005.brMeanwhile, the White House announced President Bush no longer plans to travel to the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.brGustav is not only threatening to wreak major havoc on the Gulf Coast, it is also creating a public relations nightmare for Republicans, who kick off their convention Monday.brLearning their lessons from a Bush administration that was heavily criticized for its handling of Hurricane Katrina, Republicans are wary that images of balloon drops and celebratory speeches broadcast alongside footage of mass evacuations will look just as bad for them as it did for Bush, who was photographed vacationing at his Crawford, Texas, ranch when Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.brThe Republican National Committee also has set up a committee in St. Paul tasked with monitoring Hurricane Gustav and evaluating its impact on the convention schedule. The committee will mainly work to make sure delegates from the affected states have information and assistance if necessary. brBut as of now, an RNC official told ABCNews.com that all systems were a go for Monday.brThis is the mother of all storms, Nagin said of Gustav, a monstrous Category 4 storm that could approach the central Louisiana coast just west of New Orleans on Monday.brYou need to be concerned and you need to get your butts moving and out of New Orleans right now, Nagin said at City Hall. This is the storm of the century.brThe evacuation order, which will not be physically enforced by officials, will start with the city's low-lying West Bank starting at 8 a.m. CDT (1300 GMT) on Sunday, followed by the East Bank at noon CDT (1700 GMT), Nagin told reporters.brResidents have the choice to remain behind and weather the storm, but that would be one of the biggest mistakes that you could make in your life, Nagin said.brHe said people might have to chop through the roofs of their houses to escape rising waters if they stay.brMake sure you have an ax, he said.