It was three years ago to the day that Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans. The city has been rebuilding ever since (some areas faster than others), and now the specter of another storm looms on the horizon.

Hurricane Gustav forced the New Orleans Saints to head to Indianapolis for their NFL opener a week early, and now, the LSU Tigers’ are having to adjust their schedule to avoid Gustav’s potential wrath — the start time for tomorrow’s game against Appalachian St. has been moved from late afternoon to mid-morning:

“Public safety concerns override game-day concerns,” said Charles Zewe, chief spokesman for the LSU System, adding that the decision was made after consultation with the governor’s office and state officials who are coordinating the state’s response.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

The latest forecast has Gustav possibly reaching Category 3 strength this weekend, “and could become even stronger as it churns through the Gulf of Mexico.” There’s no guarantee where the hurricane will hit land, but Katrina brought home the point that Mother Nature isn’t to be tested. Head for safety first, ask questions later.

Which makes this reader comment from NOLA.COM’S LSU blog particularly worrisome: “Um… has anyone in Baton Rouge or headed for Baton Rouge noticed that the hurricane is HEADED for Baton Rouge??? Contraflow is going to totally hose this up. Cancel the game. It’s just not worth it.”