Ike moves toward Cuba

MIAMI, Florida (CNN) - Hurricane Ike's outer bands moved over the southern Bahamas Sunday, carrying high winds and heavy rain, as the Category 4 storm surged forward on a track that could take it toward the U.S. Gulf Coast.

That possibility prompted state and local officials in Florida and Louisiana to prepare for what may be the third major storm to affect the Gulf Coast region in less than a month.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal pre-emptively issued a state of emergency for the state, which is still recovering from Hurricane Gustav. More than 370,000 people remained without power there, nearly a week after Gustav made landfall, he said.