KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) The latest forecast says Hurricane Ike could weaken as it moves over Cuba tomorrow but officials along the Gulf Coast are still paying close attention.

A phased evacuation for residents of the Florida Keys began this morning. A spokeswoman at the state Emergency Operations Center says people have been leaving. The region could feel some of the effects of Ike starting tomorrow night.

A forecaster says Ike is a "very dangerous storm" that is expected to remain a "major hurricane" in the next couple of days, even with some "ups and downs" in its strength. It's currently a Category 4 storm with winds near 135 miles an hour.

If the storm heads toward New Orleans, Mayor Ray Nagin says it will be hard to move people out in the kind of numbers that left for Hurricane Gustav. Many of those evacuees are just now getting back home.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal says the Federal Emergency Management Agency has promised the necessary help, not just in the recovery from Gustav but also in the event Ike hits the state.

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