As of Wednesday (Aug. 29,2012) afternoon, Hurricane Isaac is soaking southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi with heavy rain. High storm surges - up to 12 feet - and major flooding are to be expected throughout the day and into tonight.
The hurricane, which is approximately 10 miles NW of Houma, LA and 45 miles WSW of New Orleans is currently a category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of about 75 MPH. Isaac is expected to weaken and downgrade back to a tropical storm today as it continues moving inland.
This storm is the first critical test of the Army Corps. Of Engineers new $15.5 billion levee system put into place after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans seven years ago today. City spokesman Hayne Rainey told USA Today that as of yet, New Orleans had not received any reports of levee breaches
There is some extensive flooding throughout that general region of Louisiana, however, as well as reports of widespread power outages. Additionally, police officials are keeping busy with rescue efforts from clearing car crashes on flooded roads to saving residents stuck in their waterlogged homes.
In Plaquemines Parish, LA, which is approximately 100 miles away from New Orleans, there is also significant flooding reported, stemming from 12-foot storm surges along the bank of the Mississippi River.
"Right now we're trying to figure out where [the residents] actually are," State Trooper Russel Brueck told the New York Times of search and rescue efforts in the parish. "They're not actually stuck in the body of water. They're just stuck."
"Those areas that didn't flood for Katrina were flooded for this storm, said Billy Nungesser, president of the parish. "If this is a category 1 storm, I don't want to see anything stronger.
The National Hurricane Center warns that residents in Louisiana, southern Mississippi and Southwest Alabama can expect to see increased flooding as Isaac continues to pelt the area with up to twenty inches estimated rainfall. The center says that the eye of the storm is likely to stall in Louisiana through Thursday before moving up and inland and eventually aiming at southern Arkansas by Friday morning.
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