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Forecasters are not sure exactly where Ivan will land next. On Tuesday, officials posted a hurricane watch for a 420-mile-long strip of land from St. Marks in the Florida Panhandle, to New Orleans and Morgan City, Louisiana.

Local officials urged residents on Florida's Panhandle to evacuate the area. People on the Louisiana coast boarded up their houses and prepared to leave. In New Orleans, more than 1.2 million people were warned to evacuate as Ivan threatens to submerge the city in 20 feet of water. Mississippi's governor declared a state of emergency. And in Mexico, coastal towns opened shelters and closed beaches.

Irvin Bruce and his wife cut their vacation short, leaving Gulfport, Mississippi, for drier land. Bruce echoed the feelings of many in the southeastern U.S., which is experiencing a tough hurricane season. "That's a monster out there. I'm not taking any chances," he said.