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Preparations

The unpredictable nature of the hurricane, in conjunction with its arrival at popular tourist destinations on the Labor Day holiday weekend, severely complicated preparations along the Gulf Coast.[6] Evacuations and the hoisting of weather advisories inadvertently occurred in stages to keep up with Elena's shifts in direction; hurricane warnings were in effect at one point or another for every coastal location between Morgan City, Louisiana, and Sarasota, Florida. Much of the northern Gulf Coast was under a hurricane warning on two separate occasions for two different trajectories of the storm.[10] Evacuations of residents and vacationers also overlapped in many cases.[6] Collectively, this led to the "largest number of people ever evacuated", according to Robert Case.[11] During Elena's initial approach, the first series of hurricane warnings were issued between Grand Isle, Louisiana, and Apalachicola, Florida. The storm's projected path quickly nudged westward, prompting the warnings to be extended to Morgan City, Louisiana, and truncated to Pensacola, Florida on their eastern reach.[13] Heeding the advisories, nearly one million residents and vacationers fled the storm's path.[6] Personnel on offshore oil rigs in the northern Gulf of Mexico began leaving as early as August 29. [14] The governors of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida declared states of emergency by August 30.[15] Huge crowds formed at stores as individuals searched for emergency supplies, and simultaneously, lines grew at gas stations. Due to the impending danger, many businesses closed and fortified their buildings. Across the Gulf Coast, classes at schools were cancelled, and residents in the New Orleans area were particularly weary of what was being called the first serious hurricane threat in 20 years (Hurricane Betsy caused catastrophic flooding in and around New Orleans in 1965).[16] In Mississippi, the mass exodus created bumper-to-bumper traffic on crucial highways, such as the west–east U.S. Route 90.[17] In Florida, then-Governor Bob Graham activated 250 National Guard troops on August 30 to facilitate efficient evacuations, stating that 1,600 more were on standby.[18] By that time, it became evident that Elena would head farther east than initially expected, stirring more concern for the eastern Gulf Coast. Accordingly, hurricane warnings were dropped for coastal Louisiana west of Grand Isle and replaced eastward to Apalachicola, Florida.[12][19]
 * 1) Some evacuees moved inland to meet relations, but many stayed relatively local, filling hotels and designated shelters such as schools and churches.[6]
 * 2) Despite the unusually fluid scenario, officials were well aware of the storm's destructive power days before its actual landfall. National Hurricane Center hurricane expert Bob Sheets cautioned on August 30 that Elena "will be over a $1 billion storm".[12]
 * 3) Hurricane Elena early on September 1, shortly before attaining peak intensity and accelerating to the west

By the evening of August 30, after Elena's sharp turn to the east, hurricane warnings along most of the northern Gulf Coast were discontinued. In accordance, evacuees between Louisiana and the four westernmost counties of the Florida Panhandle returned home as shelters closed.[19][20] With the storm's new course, the area of highest threat translated east to the remainder of the Panhandle and the western Florida Peninsula.[6][20] As such, Governor Graham recommended evacuations south to the Tampa area late on August 30.[19] A mandatory evacuation was then issued overnight for ten more coastal counties, encompassing 573,000 affected individuals.[6][20] On August 31, Governor Graham advised residents in vulnerable areas of 15 inland counties to find safer ground.[21] In response to the heightening danger, most of the National Guard troops previously on standby were sent to block access to certain areas, and an additional 3,000 were placed on standby.[22]