Three years ago this week, New Orleans City Council member Jay Batt had a tree through the front of his home and eight feet of water on his property after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast.

“I didn’t see my wife and kids for four months afterwards,” the Republican politician explained. “They were in Houston while I did City Council stuff.”

Now, Tropical Storm Gustav is close to becoming a hurricane and could hit the Gulf Coast, and possibly New Orleans on Sunday or Monday.

However, Batt is scheduled to be in St. Paul, Minn., with the rest of the Louisiana Republican Delegation casting votes to nominate John McCain as the party’s presidential candidate.

So, any plans to reschedule?

“Absolutely not,” Batt said.

He said he is concerned, but not nervous about what could happen if Gustav rolls ashore in New Orleans. Batt said he is confident that the city of New Orleans and the federal government have put the appropriate precautions in place should severe weather strike the city again.

“Katrina taught us a lot of valuable lessons about being prepared and being ready,” he explained. “We’ve put billions into our levees and drainage systems.”

The mood among other delegates in the Louisiana delegation, according to Batt, is similar. He said the delegates are planning to have a blast during their time in the Twin Cities, which includes a stop at Minneapolis’ famed Dakota Jazz Club.

Folks at Louisiana’s GOP headquarters were not quite as optimistic as Batt, however, as of Thursday, they were all still planning on making the trip.

“Most of us are on a two-plan track right now,” said the state party’s communication director, Aaron Baer. “Either we go and have a good time, or we stay back and do what we need to do.”