PANAMA CITY, Fla. – Hurricane Ivan is headed toward the U.S. Gulf Coast, imperiling communities from the Florida panhandle to Morgan City, La. Leery residents in several coastal counties are on the move.

In Panama City, there was a last minute run on supplies as residents heeded a mandatory evacuation for Ivan before its expected U.S. landfall late Wednesday or Thursday morning.

"Your day to evacuate is today. By tomorrow when those winds start picking up on those barrier islands across those causeways you don't want to be the last one getting out you want to go ahead and get out today," emergency operation coordinator Craig Fugate said.

On Monday, Ivan kicked the western tip of Cuba, downing power lines, flooding streets and battering buildings.

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	Ivan in the Gulf Gulf Coast residents are preparing for the worst from Hurricane Ivan.

As Ivan moves closer to the U.S. shores, some state officials already have declared states of emergency. The mayor of New Orleans, a city that is particularly vulnerable to flooding because its below sea level, warned residents to brace for the worst.

"Even if it doesn't come to New Orleans, directly, we will have hurricane force winds. Don't put our guards down just in case this storm veers a little to our east," New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin said.