Hurricane Gustav is weakening slightly to a Category 2 storm as it nears landfall along the heavily evacuated Louisiana coast.

The National Hurricane Center says Gustav and its 110-mph winds should hit somewhere southwest of New Orleans by midday Monday. The center of the storm was about 80 miles from the city as of 8 a.m.

Forecasters had feared the storm would arrive as a devastating Category 4 with much more powerful winds as it approached the vulnerable city.