Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal said Tuesday morning that the threat of Hurricane Gustav possibly impacting Louisiana could force him to miss next week's Republican National Convention in Minneapolis.

Jindal is scheduled to give a speech on Sept. 3, the third night of the convention. But a threat to the state would trump that plan, partly because Jindal would want to stay in Louisiana and urge residents to prepare, he said.

"If the storm continues to come this way, I'll be changing my travel plans," he said.

Gustav hit Haiti on Tuesday and headed toward the Gulf of Mexico. This is the height of hurricane season, which runs through November. Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast three years ago Friday.

The National Hurricane Center's five-day forecast late Tuesday projected that Gustav coudl grow into a Category 3 hurricane with 120 mph winds before reaching the middle of the Gulf of Mexico by Sunday afternoon, three days before Jindal's speech.

Hurricanes' predicted paths can vary widely, and it wasn't clear whether the storm would hit the U.S. or how strong it could be by then.

The governor urged people to stock up on water, food, batteries and other supplies, and confirm plans for evacuating children, the elderly and pets. He recommended visiting the state-run emergency preparedness Web site, www.getagameplan.org, which offers planning and evacuation advice. "It is not too soon to begin reviewing plans for your own families. Now's the time," he said at a news conference at the state's emergency center.

The National Guard is on alert, he said.

The Louisiana SPCA announced that its shelter in New Orleans would close at 2 p.m. Wednesday so staffers could get ready to begin evacuating animals to Baton Rouge on Thursday. Some models indicate that the storm could enter the Gulf as early as Saturday, and the organization's guidelines call for beginning preparations at least 96 hours before a potential Category 3 storm threatens, director Ana Zorrilla said.

"We definitely don't want to wait until Saturday or Sunday to decide what to do," she said. "Our best course of action is to prepare in advance to allow enough time for a safe evacuation."

Jindal's comments came as St. Bernard Parish, virtually wiped out by Katrina, celebrated the renovation and opening of its first fire station since the storm.

Jerry Sneed, New Orleans' emergency preparedness director, said officials did not want to frighten anyone but wanted residents to be prepared and to sign up if they need the city's help evacuating should a Category 3 hurricane or stronger threaten and a mandatory evacuation be called.

He said officials hoped to have a better feel for the hurricane's path by this weekend.