National Hurricane Center Issues Warning for U.S. States Louisiana,Alabama and More, [DETAILS]
The National Hurricane Center announced at 8 a.m. on Aug. 28 that Tropical Storm Isaac is "just below hurricane strength as it continues northwestward" and that U.S. warnings are in effect.
Last noted by the Center on Tuesday, Isaac was south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River.
Hurricane warning is in effect for east of Morgan City, La., to the Mississippi- Alabama border, including New Orleans, Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas. A tropical storm warning is in effect for the Mississippi-Alabama border to Destin, Fl. and Morgan City to Cameron, La.
NHC noted in their report that the center of Isaac is expected to reach the coastline of southeastern Louisiana as early as this Tuesday evening, with maximum sustained winds near 70 mph. The combination of the storm and the tide will no doubt cause flooding by raising waters past their normal height.
Isaac is expected to produce rainfall amounts of 7 to 14 inches, with a possible maximum of 20 inches in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.
Video briefings and audio podcasts are available on the National Weather Service's site.
Last noted that 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Isaac is moving at 10 mph but its speed is not to be underestimated.
All residents from Florida to Louisiana are recommended by the center to stay tuned to all bulletins issued by the National Hurricane Center and local national weathers services.
Fear of terrible conditions made organizers delay the National Republican Convention, which was expected to take place in Florida on Monday, Aug. 27.
Michael Lowry, a meteorologist with the NHC in Miami, explained that Isaac will cause slow water rise over many hours, even before the storm makes landfall on Tuesday.
"The Gulf Coast in generally is more vulnerable to storm surge than, say, the East Coast because the coastal shelf is shallower. That broad shelf allows the storm surge to run up much greater distance and be a higher magnitude," he said to the Los Angeles Times. "But storm surge is not just a line along the coast - it doesn't stop on the beach. With Katrina we saw storm surge 30 to 40 miles inland. We don't expect to see it that far inland with this storm, but you can expect some inland component."
