Image via Wikipedia It looks like Gustav is degrading into a more manageable category 2 hurricane as it rages into the gulf states. The flooding that accentuated the damage of Katrina is not repeating itself with Gustav, as the tidal surge is not nearly as powerful. A category 2 hurricane is still bad - especially in the hard hit state of Louisiana, but oil traders have taken a bearish breather from pushing prices up and crude oil is trading down over $3 to $111 a barrel. Quite a difference from the $147 peak in the middle of summer this year.

Go over to Forced Green and encourage Linda to give us an update about the realities on the ground - she is in the path of Gustav.