Three years ago today, Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast, claiming lives and leaving behind a sea of devastation. As the nation remembers the chaos of those fateful days, all eyes are fixed on Gustav, which is approaching hurricane strength and could strike the Gulf Coast in the coming days.

Many residents found themselves repeating the same things they did in the days before Katrina. The New Orleans Saints were set to play the Miami Dolphins in the team’s final NFL preseason game Thursday night; the Saints played their final game of the 2005 preseason just three days before Katrina. Running back Deuce McAllister, who was planning to shore up his suburban home, found it a little weird to be preparing for a possible storm again.

“It’s out of our hands,” said McAllister. “We’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”