A man rides his bike through the French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana, September 1, 2008. Hurricane Gustav sent strong winds and lashing rains into New Orleans early on Monday, but the storm lost some of its power and was expected to move ashore to the west, sparing the city its full force. Gustav weakened to a Category 2 hurricane shortly before making landfall, although it was already pounding Louisiana's coastal areas with torrential rain and hurricane force winds. REUTERS/Dave Martin (UNITED STATES)