LEXINGTON — Air Methods Kentucky began deploying medical helicopters, personnel, and medical supplies last night into Louisiana in preparation for what may be a Category 4 or 5 hurricane potentially on a path into New Orleans next week.

Air Methods Corporation, based in Englewood, Colorado, began deploying 22 medical helicopters to Alexandria, Louisiana. Four of those helicopters are based in Kentucky. Air Methods Kentucky is also sending eight Kentucky medical teams - consisting of a pilot, flight nurse, and flight paramedic - and additional support staff, including mechanics.

"This is a large scale activation that no other air medical system in the US can provide," said Air Methods Kentucky medical manager Joe Hill from their state command post.

"This is the first wave of the response," Hill said. "Depending on the strength of the hurricane and the damage it leaves, second and third responses may be necessary."

Air Methods is deploying under Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) authorization through a contract managed by AMR. In 2007, FEMA awarded AMR with an exclusive contract to provide ground and air ambulance service along with para-transit service to supplement federal and military responses to disasters, acts of terrorism and other public health emergencies. The contract covers the 21 states along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts and could be expanded to the 48 contiguous states if necessary.

Two additional Air Methods helicopters will be temporarily placed in Kentucky while the four Kentucky helicopters are in Louisiana and will be staffed by medical flight personnel who remain in the state. Air Methods Kentucky bases 10 medical helicopters and one fixed-wing aircraft throughout Kentucky.

Tropical storm Gustav could turn into a potentially powerful hurricane next week. Gustav was blamed yesterday for at least 68 deaths in the Caribbean.

Following right behind Gustav is tropical storm Hanna. The eighth storm of a busy Atlantic hurricane season was on a track that could threaten the Bahamas and Florida, the US National Hurricane Center said.

Forecasters said Gustav could intensify rapidly and "it would be no surprise" if the storm became a Category 4 or 5 hurricane within the next 72 hours, the most severe on the five-step Saffir-Simpson hurricane intensity scale.

New Orleans, the Southern US city ravaged by Hurricane Katrina three years ago, remained near the middle of the range of possible landfall locations on the US Gulf Coast.

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal put New Orleans residents on alert for possible evacuations starting today, the third anniversary of Katrina's strike, and issued a precautionary disaster declaration. A state of emergency was declared in neighboring Mississippi, which was also devastated by Katrina.