Nearly two million people have fled New Orleans as Hurricane Gustav hits the US coast.

Gustav is still only a category three hurricane, but is packing torrential rain and winds of around 185 kilometre-per-hour.

Reports of power cuts in New Orleans started after wind and rain began hitting the city.

Oil production platforms in the US gulf region have been shut down as thousands of troops evacuated the city ahead of the hurricane’s arrival.

President Bush is in Texas to monitor emergency preparations for Gustav which has killed more than 80 people in the Caribbean so far.

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