New Orleans residents were ordered to flee as the monster storm Gustav is expected to land in 2 days.

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin gave the mandatory order late Saturday,

"And I must tell you, this is the mother of all storms, this storm is so powerful, going more powerful everyday, that I'm not sure we've seen anything like it. The National Weather Service is saying it's the worst possible storm that they can imagine. If you are stubborn enough, if you are not taking this as seriously as we need you to take it and if you decide to stay, you are on your own."

Many residents didn't need to be ordered. An estimated one million people were fleeing the Gulf Coast on Saturday by bus, train, plane and car. They clogged roadways, emptied gas stations of fuel and jammed phone circuits.

"Trying to get some plywood so I can board up a few windows."

"Just boarding up some clients homes before I head out to wherever."

"I might stick around but if it comes a little more East... got to go. Got to go, got to keep my family protected, you know."

The hurricane Gustav already killed more than 80 people in the Caribbean, and strengthened quickly into Category 4. On Sunday forecasters said it might become a Category 5 storm.

Police and firefighters were set to go street-to-street with bullhorns over the weekend to help direct people where to go.

Gustav swelled into a major hurricane south of Cuba and it could strike the US coast anywhere from Mississippi to Texas by Tuesday.

Forecasters said if Gustav follows the projected path it would likely make landfall on Louisiana's central coast, sparing New Orleans a direct hit. But forecasters caution it is still too soon to say exactly where the storm will hit.