Hurricane Isaac unleashed strong winds and heavy rainfall over southeastern Louisiana as it made its way northwest, the National Hurricane Center said on Wednesday.
Located about 40 miles southwest of New Orleans, Isaac is expected to continue a northwestward motion, but will make a north-northwest turn by Thursday night or Friday morning, the center said.
The hurricane maintained maximum sustained winds of 80 mph and has a forward speed of 6 mph. According to the NHC, Isaac is currently a Cat. 1 hurricane and is anticipated to weaken as it moves further inland.
The Miami-based center updated its hurricane warning for east of Morgan City, La. to the Mississippi-Alabama border, including New Orleans, Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas. A hurricane watch over Intracoastal City to Morgan City, La. is still in effect.
Isaac is expected to move over Louisiana over the next 48 hours and over southern Arkansas early Friday morning, the Center advised.
Storm surge and increased rainfall is a major concern with flooding predicted to reach up to 12 feet in Mississippi and southeastern Louisiana. Up to 20 inches of rainfall were also expected to fall over Louisiana, southern Mississippi and southwest Alabama.
The Hurricane Center warned that the deepest flooding would occur along the coast in areas of onshore winds and said storm surge would be followed by "large and dangerous waves."
Reuters reported that the multibillion-dollar barriers built in New Orleans were not breached on Wednesday despite water reaching past the top of a levee on the outskirts of the city.
New Orleans Mayor Mitchell Landrieu told local radio, "All of the levees are holding and are very strong."
The new barriers were built after levees failed when Hurricane Katrina struck the city in 2005. Katrina left New Orleans devastated, leaving 1,800 dead in its wake. According to Reuters, U.S. Army National Guard troops were bivouacked with military vehicles in and around New Orleans on Tuesday as Isaac approached.
Isaac, which could still cause tornadoes along the central Gulf Coast and parts of the Lower Mississippi River Valley, spared Tampa, Fla. where the Republican National Convention is being held. Organizers were forced to rearrange the schedule to accommodate complications caused by the storm.
Reuters reported that Isaac killed at least 23 people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic and caused major flooding and damage to the area.
National Hurricane App and Hurricane Isaac 2012 on Your Smartphone
Projected Path and Storm Force Wind Probabilities
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