As Tropical Storm Hanna moves northwest from east of the Bahamas – where it knocked out power in the southern part of the islands, weather experts were keeping a close eye on Hurricane Ike, close behind.

Ike was gaining strength and reached a Category 4 hurricane status as it crossed the Atlantic Ocean. At 5 a.m. EDT Thursday, Ike had maximum sustained winds near 145 mph. The National Hurricane Center in Miami called Ike "an extremely dangerous" hurricane, but said it’s too early to tell where the storm might land.

Ike "is an extremely dangerous Category 4 hurricane," the weather center said. "It is expected that Ike will maintain Category Four or Category Three intensity over the next 48 hours."

The Associated Press reports that a hurricane watch was issued for the area from Edisto Beach, S.C., north to Surf City, N.C., while a tropical storm watch was issued for Edisto Beach and south to Altamaha Sound, Ga.

Hanna’s winds increased to 70 mph Thursday, and turned to the northwest Wednesday after lingering for days near Haiti, where floods killed 26 people. The Bahamas Royal Defence Force was kept on standby for disaster response. Hanna could possibly make landfall near the Carolinas on Saturday.

Meanwhile, The New York Times reports that New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin has ordered an immediate lifting of city barriers to allow residents who evacuated for Hurricane Gustav back into the city. But the power still isn’t on. 

Despite angry blasts from Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and even a plea from President Bush, power utility officials gave no word on when electricity would be restored.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reports though few grocery stores or gas stations had reopened, and hospitals remained understaffed, Nagin and City Council members offered a rosy view of things.

"Most of your beautiful homes that you all have worked so hard to rebuild are standing strong," City Councilwoman Cynthia Willard-Lewis said.