NOAA Tropical Storm Isaac; Storm Surge To Hit Louisiana and Mississippi, 70mph Winds
NOAA National Hurricane Center in Miami reports that Tropical Storm Isaac has picked up momentum with 70mph winds and is going more west as it travels through the Gulf of Mexico. Isaac will impact the northern US Gulf Coast the most with intense storm surges of 6 to12 feet in Southeast Louisiana and Mississippi. Louisiana can also expect as much as 18 inches of rain and possible tornadoes.
Storm surges in Alabama are expected to be 4 to 8 feet. South Central Louisiana: 3 to 6 feet, and Florida West Coast including Apalachee Bay: 1 to 3 feet. The NOAA National Hurricane Center declared a tropical weather outlook public advisory on Tuesday morning due to tropical waves in the tropical Atlantic and the Atlantic Tropical Cyclone Activity of Isaac in the Caribbean.
The National Hurricane Center has also put up hurricane advisories that extend from east of Morgan City, La, to the city of Destin in the Panhandle of Florida.
Fl. Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana declared a state of emergency as the storm advances. Voluntary evacuations were suggested for coastal parish residents in Louisiana. However, mandatory evacuations were executed for 53,000 residents in the St. Charles Parish and the east bank of Plaquemines Parish.
Evacuations in New Orleans have not be issued yet. Buses and trains would be used to move residents if an evacuation is necessary.
"We are just on high alert. I know the anxiety level is high," New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said.
"The storm is somewhat uncertain. Out of an abundance of caution, we will begin to take these precautions as quickly as we can."
Isaac is continuing to strengthen in power, but has also grown into a massive storm; its now tropical-storm conditions have the possibility of affecting 240 miles out from its center. So even regions outside the center of the storm will be hit by strong winds and extensive rainfall, and flooding is one of the core concerns for many places near Isaac's current track.
"There's really nothing that's going to stop this storm from forming and from strengthening," Jindal said, according to Reuters.
Isaac did little damage as it stormed pass Key West, Fl., with heavy rains and winds. The forecast predictions for the storm delayed the Republican National Convention that was supposed to begin Monday, Aug. 27, in Tampa.
