Hurricane Isaac 2012 Steers Clear Of Direct Blow To New Orleans (PHOTOS)

GULFPORT, Miss. — Hurricane Isaac sidestepped New Orleans on Wednesday, sending the worst of its howling wind and heavy rain into a cluster of rural fishing villages that had few defenses against the slow-moving storm that could bring days of unending rain.

Isaac arrived exactly seven years after Hurricane Katrina and passed slightly to the west of New Orleans, where the city's fortified levee system easily handled the assault.

The city's biggest problems seemed to be downed power lines, scattered tree limbs and minor flooding. Just one person was reported killed, compared with 1,800 deaths from Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi. And police reported few problems with looting. Mayor Mitch Landrieu ordered a dusk-to-dawn curfew just to be sure.

But in Plaquemines Parish, a sparsely populated area south of the city that is outside the federal levee system, dozens of people were stranded in flooded coastal areas and had to be rescued. The storm pushed water over an 18-mile levee and put so much pressure on it that authorities planned to intentionally puncture the floodwall to relieve the strain.

"I'm getting text messages from all over asking for help," said Joshua Brockhaus, an electrician who was rescuing neighbors in his boat. "I'm dropping my dogs off, and I'm going back out there."

President Barack Obama declared federal emergencies in Louisiana and Mississippi late Wednesday, according to a statement from the White House. The disaster declarations free up federal aid for affected areas.

By midafternoon Wednesday, Isaac had been downgraded to a tropical storm. The Louisiana National Guard wrapped up rescue operations in Plaquemines Parish, saying they felt confident they had gotten everyone out and there were no serious injuries but would stay in the area over the coming days to help, National Guard spokesman Capt. Lance Cagnolatti said.

Isaac's maximum sustained winds had decreased to 60 mph by Wednesday evening. Even at its strongest, Isaac was far weaker than Hurricane Katrina, which crippled New Orleans in 2005. Because Isaac's coiled bands of rain and wind were moving at only 6 mph – about the pace of a brisk walk – the threat of storm surges and flooding was expected to last into a second night as the immense comma-shaped system crawled across Louisiana.

"We didn't think it was going to be like that," Brockhaus said. "The storm stayed over the top of us. For Katrina, we got 8 inches of water. Now we have 13 feet."

In Plaquemines Parish, about two dozen people who defied evacuation orders needed to be rescued. The stranded included two police officers whose car became stuck.

"I think a lot of people were caught with their pants down," said Jerry Larpenter, sheriff in nearby Terrebonne Parish. "This storm was never predicted right since it entered the Gulf. It was supposed to go to Florida, Panama City, Biloxi, New Orleans. We hope it loses its punch once it comes in all the way."

The storm knocked out power to as many as 700,000 people, stripped branches off trees and flattened fields of sugar cane so completely that they looked as if a tank had driven over them.

Plaquemines Parish ordered a mandatory evacuation for the west bank of the Mississippi below Belle Chasse because of worries about a storm surge. The order affected about 3,000 people, including a nursing home with 112 residents. In Jefferson Parish, the sheriff ordered a dusk-to-dawn curfew.

West of New Orleans in St. John the Baptist Parish, flooding from Isaac forced 1,500 people to evacuate. And Gov. Bobby Jindal's office said thousands in the area needed to evacuate. Rising water closed off all main thoroughfares into the parish, and in many areas, water lapped up against houses and left cars stranded.

After wind-driven water spilled over the levee in Plaquemines Parish, state officials said they would cut a hole in it as soon as weather allowed and equipment could be brought to the site.

In coastal Mississippi, officials used small motorboats Wednesday to rescue at least two dozen people from a neighborhood Isaac flooded in Pearlington. In addition, the National Weather Service said there were reports of at least three possible tornados touching down in coastal counties. No injuries were reported.

None of the reports had been confirmed because there was no way for survey teams to assess the area to determine whether damage was done by tornadoes or straight-line winds until the weather cleared, said NWS Meteorologist Shawn O'Neil.

Back in New Orleans, the storm canceled remembrance ceremonies for those killed by Katrina. Since that catastrophe, the city's levee system has been bolstered by $14 billion in federal repairs and improvements. The bigger, stronger levees were tested for the first time by Hurricane Gustav in 2008.

Army Corps of Engineers spokeswoman Rachel Rodi said the flood-control measures were working "as intended" during Isaac.

"We don't see any issues with the hurricane system at this point," she said.

Isaac came ashore late Tuesday as a Category 1 hurricane, with 80 mph winds near the mouth of the Mississippi River. It drove a wall of water nearly 11 feet high inland.

In Vermilion Parish, a 36-year-old man died after falling 18 feet from a tree while helping friends move a vehicle ahead of the storm. Deputies did not know why he climbed the tree.

The storm stalled for several hours before resuming a slow trek inland, and forecasters said that was in keeping with its erratic history. The slow motion over land means Isaac could be a major soaker, dumping up to 20 inches of rain in some areas. But every system is different.

"It's totally up to the storm," said Ken Graham, chief meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Slidell, La.

Slashing rain and wind gusts up to 100 mph buffeted New Orleans skyscrapers.

In the French Quarter near Bourbon Street, Jimmy Maiuri was shooting video from outside his second-floor apartment. Maiuri, who fled from Katrina at the last minute, stayed behind this time with no regrets. He was amazed at the storm's timing.

"It's definitely not one to take lightly, but it's not Katrina," he said. "No one is going to forget Aug. 29, forever. Not here at least."

As hard wind and heavy rain pelted Melba Leggett-Barnes' home in the Lower 9th Ward, an area leveled during Katrina, she felt more secure than she did seven years ago.

"I have a hurricane house this time," said Barnes, who has been living in her newly rebuilt home since 2008. She and her husband, Baxter Barnes, were among the first to get a home through Brad Pitt's Make It Right program.

Her yellow house with a large porch and iron trellis was taking a beating but holding strong.

"I don't have power, but I'm all right," said Barnes, a cafeteria worker for the New Orleans school system.

In Mississippi, some sections of the main highway that runs along the Gulf, U.S. 90, were closed by flooding.

In Pass Christian, a Mississippi coastal community wiped out by hurricanes Camille and Katrina, Mayor Chipper McDermott was optimistic that Isaac would not deal a heavy blow.

"It's not too bad, but the whole coast is going to be a mess," he said.

Forecasters expected Isaac to move inland over the next several days, dumping rain on drought-stricken states across the nation's midsection before finally breaking up over the weekend. The storm was expected to weaken to a tropical depression Thursday, according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

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Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Brian Schwaner and Stacy Plaisance in New Orleans; Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge; Kevin McGill in Houma; Holbrook Mohr in Waveland and Pass Christian, Miss.; and Jeff Amy in Biloxi and Gulfport, Miss.

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• Chuck Cropp, center, his son Piers, left, and wife Liz, right, wade through floodwaters from Hurricane Isaac Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012, in New Orleans. As Isaac made landfall, it was expected to dump as much as 20 inches of rain in several parts of Louisiana. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

• Homes are flooded as Hurricane Isaac hits Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012, in Braithwaite, La. As Isaac made landfall, it was expected to dump as much as 20 inches of rain in several parts of Louisiana. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

• Kneaka Griffin, Ra-Maaz Williams

  Kneaka Griffin, of Davant, La., holds Ra-Maaz Williams, 5 months, at an evacuation shelter after Isaac made landfall as a hurricane, in Belle Chasse, La., Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

• Law enforcement officers and first responders help a family to reach dry land after they were rescued from floodwaters caused by Isaac in Pearlington, Miss., Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012, during a nonstop rain. A number of residents of the small community were trapped by the rising waters and had be rescued or waited until the low tide when waters receded so they could walk out. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

• The waters of the Mississippi Sound surround a traffic sign along Coden Belt Road, Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012 in Coden, Ala. as Isaac makes landfall along the Gulf Coast. Isaac, downgraded to a tropical storm, has top sustained winds of 70 mph (112 kph), just below the hurricane threshold of 74 mph (119 kph). The storm is about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west-southwest of New Orleans, where it is bringing drenching rains and fierce winds. (AP Photo/Mobile Register, G.M. Andrews MAGS OUT

• Hurricane Isaac Hits New Orleans, Gulf Coast

  NEW ORLEANS, LA - AUGUST 29: A downed streetlight lies in the rain from Hurricane Isaac in the Central Business District on August 29, 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The large Level 1 hurricane is slowly moving across southeast Louisiana, dumping large amounts of rain and knocking out power to Louisianans in scattered parts of the state. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

• Lights are reflected on Canal Street as a police officer patrolling the area passes a pedestrian as storm bands from Hurricane Isaac hit, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Isaac, a massive storm spanning nearly 200 miles from its center, made landfall Tuesday evening near the mouth of the Mississippi River. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

• David Stefano

  Bay St. Louis, Miss., fireman David Stefano reacts as he and other first responders use an airboat to reach a house fire Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. Isaac's rainfall flooded a number of streets in this Bay St. Louis subdivision, preventing firemen from responding quickly to the fire that destroyed a house. (AP Photo/Holbrook Mohr)

• Ronnie Willis

  Ronnie Willis makes his way across Canal Street through the wind and rain from Hurricane Isaac Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

• Hurricane Isaac Hits New Orleans, Gulf Coast

  NEW ORLEANS, LA - AUGUST 29: Heavy rain from Hurricane Isaac obsures the view of the Crescent City Connection Bridge over the Mississiippi River early on August 29, 2012 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The large Level 1 hurricane slowly moved across southeast Louisiana, dumping huge amounts of rain and knocking out power to Louisianans in scattered parts of the state. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

• Timbers smolder after a fire gutted a house on stilts in a Bay St. Louis, Miss., neighborhood after rising storm waters from Isaac prevented firemen from responding quickly with their trucks Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. First responders used an airboat to reach the house in order to make sure the flames did not affect any neighboring homes. (AP Photo/Holbrook Mohr)

• Waves tear apart a pier along the Mobile Bay near Dauphin Island on Tuesday, August 28, 2012. Alabama took a glancing blow from Hurricane Isaac on Tuesday as it headed toward landfall in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, but the storm still threatened the coast with high winds, torrential rain and pounding surf. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

• Bay St. Louis, Miss., first responders brave a driving rain storm as they use an airboat to reach a house fire in a flooded subdivision, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. After several attempts to reach the house fire, flooded streets forced the fire fighters to use the airboat. (AP Photo/Holbrook Mohr)

• A woman stands on a partially submerged picnic bench in the storm surge from Isaac, on Lakeshore Drive along Lake Pontchartrain, as the storm approaches landfall, in New Orleans, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

• Waves tear apart a pier along Mobile Bay near Dauphin Island on Tuesday, August 28, 2012 in Coden, Ala. Alabama took a glancing blow from Hurricane Isaac on Tuesday as it headed toward landfall in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, but the storm still threatened the coast with high winds, torrential rain and pounding surf. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

• First responders seek the assistance of a City of Bay St. Louis, Miss., dump truck to tow their airboat back to their launch site after running aground Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. Isaac's rainfall flooded a number of streets in this Bay St. Louis, Miss., neighborhood preventing firemen from using their fire trucks. First responders used an airboat to reach a burning house in order to make sure the flames did not affect any neighboring homes. (AP Photo/Holbrook Mohr)

• Alex, left, and Adam ,three-month-old Chihuahua puppies, play in their new kennel at the Houston SPCA on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in Houston. These two were among 70 cats and dogs that were evacuated from St. Bernard Parish Animal Control in anticipation of Hurricane Isaac. (AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, J. Patric Schneider)

• Debris from crashing waves lies strewn over the parkway going to Dauphin Island forcing a closure to the island on Tuesday, August 28, 2012 in Coden, Ala. Alabama took a glancing blow from Hurricane Isaac on Tuesday as it headed toward landfall in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, but the storm still threatened the coast with high winds, torrential rain and pounding surf. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

• Debris lies strewn over the parkway going to Dauphin Island forcing a closure to the island on Tuesday, August 28, 2012 in Coden, Ala. Alabama took a glancing blow from Hurricane Isaac on Tuesday as it headed toward landfall in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, but the storm still threatened the coast with high winds, torrential rain and pounding surf. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

• Dillard University students stay at the shelter in the gym of Centenary Colleges as they evacuated from New Orleans because of hurricane Isaac Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 28, 2012 in Shreveport, La. (AP Photo/The Times, Henrietta Wildsmith)

• The Waterfront Seafood company is flooded as water covers Shell Belt Road in Bayou La Batre, Ala. on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. It could get stronger by the time it's expected to reach the swampy coast of southeast Louisiana. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

• Teresa Ragas, left, and her husband Bertrand Ragas, of Port Sulphur, La., lie side-by-side in cots at an evacuation shelter in Belle Chasse, La., due to the impending landfall of Isaac, which is expected reach the region as a hurricane this evening, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

• A concerned neighbor checks on a car as a storm surge from Isaac pushes into Panama City, Fla. on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/The News Herald/Panama City, Fla., Andrew Wardlow) MANDATORY CREDIT

• Senior hurricane specialist Stacy Stewart updates Isaac to a category one hurricane at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center warned that Isaac, especially if it strikes at high tide, could cause storm surges of up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) along the coasts of southeast Louisiana and Mississippi and up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) as far away as the Florida Panhandle. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

• Michelle Hice, Tommy Leonard

  Animal control officer Michelle Hice puts a temporary identification collar on "Snuggles,' as evacuee Tommy Leonard hands him over for safe keeping, at an evacuation shelter in Belle Chasse, La., due to the impending landfall of Isaac, which is expected reach the region as a hurricane this evening, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

• Andrew Theriot

  Andrew Theriot flies a kite down Bourbon Street in the French Quarter as rain from Hurricane Isaac falls Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New Orleans. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

• Parnell Latham, who refused to obey a mandatory evacuation order in order to protect his storage pods, stands on his property in Plaquemines Parish, La., in anticipation of Isaac, which is expected to make landfall in the region as a hurricane this evening, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

• APTOPIX Jaylon Ragus, Donald Taylor, Jr.

  Donald Taylor, Jr., of Phoenix, La., watches his nephew Jaylon Ragus, 5, of Davant, La., play with a gaming device in an evacuation shelter in Belle Chasse, La., due to the impending landfall of Isaac, which is expected reach the region as a hurricane this evening, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

• Annie Riley picks up her lunch while seeking shelter at the Theodore High School on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012 in Theodore, Ala. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. It could get stronger by the time it's expected to reach the swampy coast of southeast Louisiana. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

• Toni Barnard holds a baby squirrel she rescued as she sought shelter at the Theodore High School on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012 in Theodore, Ala. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. It could get stronger by the time it's expected to reach the swampy coast of southeast Louisiana. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

• Hurricane Isaac

  Waves crash Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in Dauphin Island, Ala., as Isaac approaches the Gulf Coast. Isaac became a hurricane that could flood the coasts of four states with storm surge and heavy rains on its way to New Orleans, where residents hunkered down behind levees fortified after Katrina struck seven years ago this week. (AP Photo/Press-Register, Mike Kittrell) MAGS OUT

• The first real impacts of Isaac reach the beaches of Gulf Shores, Ala. at high tide as all access to the beach is closed on Tuesday, August 28, 2012. The National Hurricane Center predicted Isaac would grow to a Category 1 hurricane over the warm Gulf and possibly hit late Tuesday somewhere along a roughly 300-mile (500-kilometer) stretch from the bayous southwest of New Orleans to the Florida Panhandle. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

• Krystal Ledet, back left, looks after her son, Brandon Malbrough as her daughter Alexus Malbrough, left, colors with her grandmother, Melissa Rodrigue, right, after evacuating to a shelter in Houma, La., Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center warned that Isaac, especially if it strikes at high tide, could cause storm surges of up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) along the coasts of southeast Louisiana and Mississippi and up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) as far away as the Florida Panhandle. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

• Centenary College Public Safety Officer Alvin Bush walks around the gym floor in the fitness center on campus between beds for students from Dillard University who are coming to the campus because of Tropical Storm Isaac heading towards New Orleans. Students are expected to arrive in Shreveport, La., Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/The Shreveport Times, Jim Hudelson) NO SALES, MAGS OUT

• Jaden Fabian

  Jaden Fabian, 1, cries as she is loaded into a car seat as her family evacuates their home in advance of Tropical Storm Isaac, which is expected to make landfall in the region as a hurricane this evening in Plaquemines Parish, La., Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center warned that Isaac, especially if it strikes at high tide, could cause storm surges of up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) along the coasts of southeast Louisiana and Mississippi and up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) as far away as the Florida Panhandle. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

• Estanislao Fabian

  Estanislao Fabian loads food into their car as they evacuate their home in advance of Tropical Storm Isaac, which is expected to make landfall in the region as a hurricane this evening in Plaquemines Parish, La., Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center warned that Isaac, especially if it strikes at high tide, could cause storm surges of up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) along the coasts of southeast Louisiana and Mississippi and up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) as far away as the Florida Panhandle. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

• A woman stands among her belongings outside her damaged home after the passing of Tropical Storm Isaac in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday Aug. 26, 2012. The death toll in Haiti from Tropical Storm Isaac has climbed to seven after an initial report of four deaths, the Haitian government said Sunday. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

• Rick Knabb, Stacy Stewart, James Franklin

  Dr. Rick Knabb, center, director of the National Hurricane Center, Stacy Stewart, right, senior hurricane specialist, and James Franklin, chief hurricane specialist, track Tropical Storm Issac at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Monday, Aug. 2, 2012. Tropical Storm Isaac targeted a broad swath of the Gulf Coast on Monday and had New Orleans in its crosshairs, bearing down just ahead of the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

• A woman jogs along Bayshore Boulevanrd in between squalls blowing across the bay in Tampa, Fla., Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. The Republican National Convention has delayed it's start because of the approaching tropical storm Isaac which is churning it's way across the Gulf of Mexico. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

• A Coast Guard patrol boat cruises past the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, Fla., Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. The start of the Republican National Convention, being held at the facility, has been delayed because of the approaching tropical storm Isaac. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

• Willie Shook

  Willie Shook, 65, a survivor of Hurricane Katrina, takes a break from assisting her neighbor's packing up her belongings in preparation of leaving their beach front homes in Long Beach, Miss., prior to Tropical Storm Isaac making landfall, Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. Shook and her neighbors were completely wiped out by Hurricane Katrina seven years ago, but said regardless of the effects of this latest storm, she will come back to her home and rebuild if necessary. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

• Daniel Shedd, left, and George Lopez board up a local Bruster's in Gulf Shores, Ala. on Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. The National Hurricane Center predicted Isaac would grow to a Category 1 hurricane over the warm Gulf and possibly hit late Tuesday somewhere along a roughly 300-mile (500-kilometer) stretch from the bayous southwest of New Orleans to the Florida Panhandle. The size of the warning area and the storm's wide bands of rain and wind prompted emergency declarations in four states, and hurricane-tested residents were boarding up homes, stocking up on food and water or getting ready to evacuate. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

• Isaac Soaks Florida Keys, Leaves Little Damage Behind

  KEY WEST, FL - AUGUST 27: A Monroe County worker collects downed Sea Grape trees after Tropical Storm Isaac moved through the Florida Keys on August 27, 2012 in Key West, Florida. Isaac, still rated as a tropical storm, is expected to strengthen into at least a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall somewhere over an approximately 300 mile portion of the Gulf Coast, which includes New Orleans, on August 29, the seven-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

• People ride motorbikes in a flooded street in Havana on August 26, 2012, following the passage of tropical storm Isaac. With winds reaching 50 miles (85 kilometers) per hour, the storm brought heavy rain and choppy seas to the Florida Keys after battering Haiti and sweeping across Cuba late Saturday, the US National Hurricane Center said. (ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/GettyImages)

• HAITI-WEATHER-STORM

  Haitians living in a tent camp walk in the rain August 25, 2012 as Tropical Storm Isaac barrels through Port-Au-Prince. Forecasters earlier said Isaac was near hurricane strength when the eye of the storm passed over Haiti, where hundreds of thousands of people are still living in squalid, makeshift camps following a catastrophic 2010 earthquake. An eight-year-old Haitian girl died when a wall collapsed at her home and a 51-year-old woman died when her roof collapsed, according to officials, who later said two other people had died in the storm. Haiti was the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere even before the earthquake killed 250,000 people, and 400,000 citizens are still living in tent camps in and around the devastated capital Port-au-Prince. More than 3,300 families had been evacuated to temporary shelters ahead of Isaac as aid groups provided clean water and hygiene kits to try to limit the risk of contaminated water and the spread of disease. AFP PHOTO/Thony BELIZAIRE (Photo credit should read THONY BELIZAIRE/AFP/GettyImages)

• Contractors work to remove the first of three barge haul units at the Pinto Terminal on Monday morning, Aug. 27, 2012, in Mobile, Ala., as the Alabama State Port Authority prepares for Tropical Storm Isaac. These one-of-kind units guide barges via remote control by the crane operator during ship unloading operations and are valued at $2.5 million each. (AP Photo/Press-Register, Mike Kittrell) MAGS OUT

• Waves batter Havana's seafront on August 26, 2012, following the passage of tropical storm Isaac. With winds reaching 50 miles (85 kilometers) per hour, the storm brought heavy rain and choppy seas to the Florida Keys after battering Haiti and sweeping across Cuba late Saturday, the US National Hurricane Center said. (ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/GettyImages)

• A horse is loaded into a trailer by workers at the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, after a mandatory evacuation of the animals was issued by the track, in preparation for Tropical Storm Isaac, which is expected to become a hurricane as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico, in New Orleans, Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

• Heavy storm clouds hover over the skyline of downtown Miami as Tropical Storm Isaac's weather bands reach the Miami area aon Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012. Isaac gained fresh muscle Sunday as it bore down on the Florida Keys, with forecasters warning it could grow into a dangerous Category 2 hurricane as it nears the northern Gulf Coast. (AP Photo/The Miami Herald, Carl Juste)

• Folko Weltzien, 38, kite surfs as high winds from Hurricane Isaac gusts on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012, in Miami. Isaac gained fresh muscle Sunday as it bore down on the Florida Keys, with forecasters warning it could grow into a dangerous Category 2 hurricane as it nears the northern Gulf Coast. (AP Photo/The Miami Herald, Carl Juste)

• A person walks by a sign warning about Hurricane Isaac, in Key West, Fla., Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012. Isaac gained fresh muscle Sunday as it bore down on the Florida Keys, with forecasters warning it could grow into a dangerous Category 2 hurricane as it nears the northern Gulf Coast. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

• A message warns drivers of severe weather on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012, in Miami. Isaac gained fresh muscle Sunday as it bore down on the Florida Keys, with forecasters warning it could grow into a dangerous Category 2 hurricane as it nears the northern Gulf Coast. (AP Photo/The Miami Herald, Hector Gabino)

• Workers put up shutters at a local cafe in Key West, Fla., Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012, as the prepare for Tropical Storm Isaac. Isaac gained fresh muscle Sunday as it bore down on the Florida Keys, with forecasters warning it could grow into a dangerous Category 2 hurricane as it nears the northern Gulf Coast. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

• A cyclist rides his bike in Key West, Fla., Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012. Tropical Storm Isaac gained fresh muscle Sunday as it bore down on the Florida Keys, with forecasters warning it could grow into a dangerous Category 2 hurricane as it nears the northern Gulf Coast. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

• Craig Jones, left, and Kimberly Branson secure their boat in Key West, Fla., Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012 in preparation for Tropical Storm Isaac. Tropical Storm Isaac gained fresh muscle Sunday as it bore down on the Florida Keys, with forecasters warning it could grow into a dangerous Category 2 hurricane as it nears the northern Gulf Coast. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

• Shira Edllan Gervasi, of Israel, puts her name on plywood protecting a storefront in Key West, Fla., in anticipation of Tropical Storm Isaac on Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012. Isaac's winds are expected to be felt in the Florida Keys by sunrise Sunday morning. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

• Oren Eshel boards a storefront on Duval Street in Key West, Fla., Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012 in preparation for Tropical Storm Isaac, Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012. Isaac's winds are expected to be felt in the Florida Keys by sunrise Sunday morning. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

• A person braves the rain at Clarence Higgs Beach in Key West, Fla., as Tropical Storm Isaac hits the area on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012. Isaac gained fresh muscle Sunday as it bore down on the Florida Keys, with forecasters warning it could grow into a dangerous Category 2 hurricane as it nears the northern Gulf Coast. (AP Photo/The Miami Herald, Walter Michot)

• People react as they survey the damage in Jacmel, Haiti, a day after Tropical Storm Isaac brought rains and winds across the nation, Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012. At least seven people were killed by flooding in Haiti, including in tent cities filled with earthquake victims, and two others in the Dominican Republic. (AP Photo/The Miami Herald, Patrick Farrell)

• A van passes along a road that gave way on the way to Jacmel, Haiti, a day after Tropical Storm Isaac brought rains and winds across the nation, Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012. At least seven people were killed by flooding in Haiti, including in tent cities filled with earthquake victims, and two others in the Dominican Republic. (AP Photo/The Miami Herald, Patrick Farrell)

• A man walks on the beach in Key West, Fla., Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012 as heavy winds hit the northern coast from Tropical Storm Isaac. Isaac is expected to continue streaming across Marion County Monday as it continues toward the northern Gulf of Mexico. National Weather Service officials in Jacksonville on Sunday said Marion County began getting rain bands from Isaac around 2 p.m. and that the rain would continue through Tuesday. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

• In this photo provided by Florida Power & Light Company, line specialist Dustin Pezet works to restore power as Tropical Storm Isaac strikes in Miami on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012. Isaac gained fresh muscle Sunday as it bore down on the Florida Keys, with forecasters warning it could grow into a dangerous Category 2 hurricane as it nears the northern Gulf Coast. (AP Photo/Florida Power & Light Company, David Adame)

• Lifeguard Duane Gonzalez takes down the red warning flag on a beach in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012. Some rain and winds from Tropical Storm Isaac are beginning to reach Tampa where the Republican National Convention has postponed the start of their meeting because of the approaching storm. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

• Residents skin a goat killed during the passing of Tropical Storm Isaac in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday Aug. 26, 2012. The death toll in Haiti from Tropical Storm Isaac has climbed to seven after an initial report of four deaths, the Haitian government said Sunday. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

• A girl recovers a toy from muddy waters at her flooded house after the passing of Tropical Storm Isaac in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday Aug. 26, 2012. The death toll in Haiti from Tropical Storm Isaac has climbed to seven after an initial report of four deaths, the Haitian government said Sunday. (AP Photo/Dieu Nalio Chery)

• Workers move horses into trailers at the Fair Grounds Race Course & Slots, after a mandatory evacuation of the animals was issued by the track, in preparation for Tropical Storm Isaac, which is expected to become a hurricane as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico, in New Orleans, Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

• An elderly gentleman clears a tree from the road in Jacmel, Haiti, a day after Tropical Storm Isaac brought rains and winds across the nation, Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012. At least seven people were killed by flooding in Haiti, including in tent cities filled with earthquake victims, and two others in the Dominican Republic. (AP Photo/The Miami Herald, Patrick Farrell)

• Richard McKean

  Richard McKean buys gas for a generator as residents and property owners prepare for Tropical Storm Isaac on Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012, in Dauphin Island, Ala. (AP Photo/Press-Register, Mike Kittrell) MAGS OUT

• A bus drives past Havana's malecon (seafront) on August 26, 2012, following the passage of tropical storm Isaac. With winds reaching 50 miles (85 kilometers) per hour, the storm brought heavy rain and choppy seas to the Florida Keys after battering Haiti and sweeping across Cuba late Saturday, the US National Hurricane Center said. (ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP/GettyImages)

• A local resident carries a sandbag in anticipation of floods possibly generated by the weather system Isaac in Tampa, Florida on August 24, 2012. According to the National Weather Service, Isaac's projected path would most likely take it just to the west of Tampa as a Category 1 hurricane at the same time when the 2012 Republican National Convention will be held at the Tampa Bay Times Forum from August 27-30, 2012. (MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/GettyImages)

• A local resident loads sandbags in his pick-up car in anticipation of floods possibly generated by the weather system Isaac in Tampa, Florida on August 24, 2012. According to the National Weather Service, Isaac's projected path would most likely take it just to the west of Tampa as a Category 1 hurricane at the same time when the 2012 Republican National Convention will be held at the Tampa Bay Times Forum from August 27-30, 2012. (MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/GettyImages)

• A resident walks along the pier at Ballast Park in Tampa, Fla., Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. The Republican National Convention has delayed it's start because of the approaching tropical storm Isaac which is churning it's way across the Gulf of Mexico. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

• Phil Bryant, Rupert Lacy

  Harrison County Emergency Management Agency Director Rupert Lacy, left, listens as Gov. Phil Bryant discusses Gulf Coast preparations for Tropical Storm Isaac during a news conference at the Harrison County Emergency Operations Center in Gulfport, Miss., Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

• In this photo taken Monday, July 2, 2012, early morning sunlight illuminates fuel storage tanks at a North Little Rock, Ark., petroleum distributorship. The price of oil fell Monday, Aug. 27, 2012, as the threat to production from Tropical Storm Isaac appeared to lessen and traders speculated about a release of oil from U.S. reserves. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston)

• Isaac Soaks Florida Keys, Leaves Little Damage Behind

  KEY WEST, FL - AUGUST 27: A Monroe County Utility worker repairs power lines after Tropical Storm Isaac moved through the Florida Keys on August 27, 2012 in Key West, Florida. Isaac, still rated as a tropical storm, is expected to strengthen into at least a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall somewhere over an approximately 300 mile portion of the Gulf Coast, which includes New Orleans, on August 29, the seven-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

• Isaac Soaks Florida Keys, Leaves Little Damage Behind

  KEY WEST, FL - AUGUST 27: A Monroe County Utility worker repairs power lines after Tropical Storm Isaac moved through the Florida Keys on August 27, 2012 in Key West, Florida. Isaac, still rated as a tropical storm, is expected to strengthen into at least a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall somewhere over an approximately 300 mile portion of the Gulf Coast, which includes New Orleans, on August 29, the seven-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)

• US-VOTE-2012-REPUBLICAN CONVENTION

  A local resident loads his car with bottled water outside a Walmart store in anticipation of water shortage caused by the oncoming Tropical Storm in Tampa, Florida on August 26, 2012. A strengthening Tropical Storm Isaac barreled toward Florida and was predicted to become a hurricane on Sunday, forcing a one-day delay to the main events of the Republican convention. A hurricane warning was in effect for the Florida Keys and parts of the state's southwest coast and the Republican Party announced that severe weather warnings had postponed the start of its four-day gathering in Tampa. The proceedings will now start on Tuesday afternoon instead of Monday. Early Sunday, the storm was around 205 miles (330 kilometers) east-southeast of Key West, Florida and it was moving northwest at 18 miles (30 kilometers) per hour, with forecasts suggesting it would strengthen even over the next 48 hours, the NHC said. 'Isaac is expected to be at or near hurricane strength when it reaches the Florida Keys,' the center warned. AFP PHOTO/MLADEN ANTONOV (Photo credit should read MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP/GettyImages)

• Brenda Johns, Willie Shooks

  Willie Shooks, right, and Brenda Johns, next door neighbors and survivors of Hurricane Katrina seven years ago, say while they trust the Lord will protect them, they are taking no chances, securing their homes and moving off the beach front lots in Long Beach, Miss., before Tropical Storm Isaac becomes a hurricane, Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. When Hurricane Katrina hit, the two neighbors lost everything, returning to foundations and debris where houses once stood. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

• Daniel Sobel, of New City, N.Y., left, and his sister Joanna Sobel, right, lift his 8-year-old daughter Rachel over a wave as it comes crashing ashore in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J., Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. The effects of Tropical Storm Isaac, more than 1,100 miles away, have been roiling the surf at the Jersey Shore, restricting swimming and keeping lifeguards on their toes. (AP Photo/Wayne Parry)

• Shrimp boats are tied up Monday, Aug. 27, 2012 in Bayou La Batre, Ala. as residents prepare for the arrival of Tropical Storm Isaac along the Gulf Coast . (AP Photo/Press-Register, G.M. Andrews) MAGS OUT

• Rick McLendon looks out from the front of his boarded-up business, Bayou Produce, while he awaits customers Monday, Aug. 27, 2012 in Bayou La Batre, Ala. as residents prepare for the arrival of Tropical Storm Isaac along the Gulf Coast. (AP Photo/Press-Register, G.M. Andrews) MAGS OUT

• Mike Palmer

  Mike Palmer surfs in waves ahead of Tropical Storm Isaac in Perdido Key, Fla., Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

• Rick Knabb

  Dr. Rick Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center, gives an update on Tropical Storm Isaac at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. Tropical Storm Isaac targeted a broad swath of the Gulf Coast on Monday and had New Orleans in its crosshairs, bearing down just ahead of the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

• Some residence are boarding up their homes while others have chosen not to take Isaac seriously in Gulf Shores, Ala. on Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. The National Hurricane Center predicted Isaac would grow to a Category 1 hurricane over the warm Gulf and possibly hit late Tuesday somewhere along a roughly 300-mile (500-kilometer) stretch from the bayous southwest of New Orleans to the Florida Panhandle. The size of the warning area and the storm's wide bands of rain and wind prompted emergency declarations in four states, and hurricane-tested residents were boarding up homes, stocking up on food and water or getting ready to evacuate. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

• Hurricane specialist John Cangialosi tracks the center of Tropical Storm Isaac at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. Tropical Storm Isaac targeted a broad swath of the Gulf Coast on Monday and had New Orleans in its crosshairs, bearing down just ahead of the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

• Larry Fabacher carries bags of ice to his home as he prepares for Tropical Storm Isaac Monday, Aug. 27, 2012, in New Orleans. Isaac is churning it's way across the Gulf of Mexico. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

• Gus Williams, Somaya Washington, Areonisha Washington

  Gus Williams, left, feeds his step-granddaughter Somaya Washington, right, as her mother, Areonisha Washington, center, watches after evacuating to a shelter in Houma, La., Tuesday, May 28, 2012. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center warned that Isaac, especially if it strikes at high tide, could cause storm surges of up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) along the coasts of southeast Louisiana and Mississippi and up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) as far away as the Florida Panhandle. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

• Meteorologist Monica Bozeman tracks Tropical Storm Isaac at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center warned that Isaac, especially if it strikes at high tide, could cause storm surges of up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) along the coasts of southeast Louisiana and Mississippi and up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) as far away as the Florida Panhandle. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

• Workers fill Hesco baskets at a flood wall at Route 23, in advance of Tropical Storm Isaac in Plaquemines Parish, La., Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center warned that Isaac, especially if it strikes at high tide, could cause storm surges of up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) along the coasts of southeast Louisiana and Mississippi and up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) as far away as the Florida Panhandle. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

• A sailboat is grounded on the beach in Pass Christian, Miss., on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center warned that Isaac, especially if it strikes at high tide, could cause storm surges of up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) along the coasts of southeast Louisiana and Mississippi and up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) as far away as the Florida Panhandle. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

• Estanislao Fabian, Jordan Fabian, Jaylah Cole, Jaden Fabian

  Estanislao Fabian loads the their car as Jordan Fabian, 6, and Jaylah Cole, 6, comfort Jaden Fabian, 1, as they evacuate their home in advance of Tropical Storm Isaac, which is expected to make landfall in the region as a hurricane this evening in Plaquemines Parish, La., Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center warned that Isaac, especially if it strikes at high tide, could cause storm surges of up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) along the coasts of southeast Louisiana and Mississippi and up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) as far away as the Florida Panhandle. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

• A sailboat is grounded on the beach in Pass Christian, Miss., on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center warned that Isaac, especially if it strikes at high tide, could cause storm surges of up to 12 feet (3.6 meters) along the coasts of southeast Louisiana and Mississippi and up to 6 feet (1.8 meters) as far away as the Florida Panhandle. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

• Sea gulls fly over rising tides and brisk winds due to Tropical Storm Isaac along the water in west Gulfport, Miss., Tuesday morning, Aug. 28, 2012. Mississippi utility companies have extra crews on hand for possible widespread outages from Isaac. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

• Stacey Davis

  Stacey Davis, left, and his board up windows on their home before Tropical Storm Isaac hits Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New Orleans. Tropical Storm Isaac is churning it's way across the Gulf of Mexico towards New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

• John Richardson and his nephew Myles Erickson get in some fishing time while the rest of the family prepares for Isaac in Bayou La Batre, Ala. on Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. The National Hurricane Center predicted Isaac would grow to a Category 1 hurricane over the warm Gulf and possibly hit late Tuesday somewhere along a roughly 300-mile (500-kilometer) stretch from the bayous southwest of New Orleans to the Florida Panhandle. The size of the warning area and the storm's wide bands of rain and wind prompted emergency declarations in four states, and hurricane-tested residents were boarding up homes, stocking up on food and water or getting ready to evacuate. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

• Tropical Storm Isaac

  Surfers head out to catch waves whipped up by Tropical Storm Isaac at Haulover Beach Park in Miami Beach, Fla., Monday, Aug. 27, 2012. Forecasters predicted Isaac would intensify into a Category 1 hurricane later Monday or Tuesday with top sustained winds of between 74 and 95 mph. The center of its projected path took Isaac directly toward New Orleans on Wednesday, but hurricane warnings extended across some 330 miles from Morgan City, La., to Destin, Fla. It could become the first hurricane to hit the Gulf Coast since 2008. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

• Rick Knabb, James Franklin, Ed Rappaport

  Dr. Rick Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center, standing center, James Franklin, chief hurricane specialist, at the National Hurricane Center, standing foreground left, and Ed Rappaport, and deputy director, National Hurricane Center, keep track of Isaac in Miami, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. It could get stronger by the time it's expected to reach the swampy coast of southeast Louisiana. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

• Pedestrians make their way down Bourbon Street as rain from Hurricane Isaac falls in the French Quarter Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New Orleans. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

• U.S. Senator David Vitter, R- La., left, Jefferson Parish President John Young, second left, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and Army Corps of Engineers Col. Ed Fleming, right, talk as they tour the new levee wall and pumps at the 17th Street Canal in New Orleans, built after Hurricane Katrina, as Hurricane Isaac approaches New Orleans, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. The Category 1 hurricane is expected to hit New Orleans overnight. (AP Photo/Cheryl Gerber)

• FLORIDA HURRICANE ISAAC

  Waves from Isaac crash against the Jetty East condominium in Destin, Fla., Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012 as the storm makes its way toward expected landfall in Louisiana. (AP Photo/Northwest Florida Daily News, Devon Ravine)

• FLORIDA HURRICANE ISAAC

  L'Rena Anderson leans into the wind as she walks along the beach on Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. Anderson was among many local residents who turned out to watch the effects of Hurricane Isaac as it churns through the Gulf of Mexico toward an expected landfall in Louisiana. (AP Photo/Northwest Florida Daily News, Devon Ravine)

• FLORIDA HURRICANE ISAAC

  A crowd gathers on the end of the boardwalk on Okaloosa Island in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012 to watch rough surf generated by Hurricane Isaac as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico with an expected landfall in Louisiana. (AP Photo/Northwest Florida Daily News, Devon Ravine)

• Tommy Leonard

  Tommy Leonard, of Port Sulphur, La.., says goodbye to his dog 'Snuggles,' before he hands him over to animal control officers, who are keeping evacuees pets for them, at an evacuation shelter in Belle Chasse, La., due to the impending landfall of Isaac, which is expected reach the region as a hurricane this evening, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

• Crayione Alexis, Ra'yna Williams

  Crayione Alexis, 9, of Phoenix, La., left, and Ra'yna Williams, 5, of Davant, La., play while in an evacuation shelter in Belle Chasse, La., due to the impending landfall of Isaac, which is expected reach the region as a hurricane this evening, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. It could get stronger by the time it's expected to reach the swampy coast of southeast Louisiana. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

• Shajuana Turner, Ra-Maz Williams

  Shajuana Turner plays with her cousin Ra-Maz Williams, five months, in an evacuation shelter in Belle Chasse, La. on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. It could get stronger by the time it's expected to reach the swampy coast of southeast Louisiana. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

• People staying at the Theodore High School shelter line up for lunch on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. It could get stronger by the time it's expected to reach the swampy coast of southeast Louisiana. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

• Wendy Curtis

  Wendy Curtis walks through the wind and rain from Isaac as the outer bands make landfall Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in Chalmette, La. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. It could get stronger by the time it's expected to reach the swampy coast of southeast Louisiana. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

• From left, Jill Croy and Rachel Croy sit on the new levee wall that was built after Hurricane Katrina as Isaac continues its path to New Orleans, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. It could get stronger by the time it's expected to reach the swampy coast of southeast Louisiana. (AP Photo/Cheryl Gerber)

• Sand drifts float across the parking lot of the Silver Slipper Casino in Waveland, Miss., Tuesday Aug. 28, 2012. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. It could get stronger by the time it's expected to reach the swampy coast of southeast Louisiana. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

• Barack Obama

  In this photo taken Aug. 28, 2012, President Barack Obama speaks about Tropical Storm Isaac, in the Diplomatic Room of the White House in Washington. Trying to keep his job as he does his job, President Barack Obama assures the nation his administration is on top of the looming Gulf Coast hurricane Isaac, then gets on a waiting helicopter to head out for votes. The swift pivot illustrates the president's juggle of governing and campaigning -- neither of which ever stops. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

• A Louisiana National Guard vehicle rolls down Bourbon Street as Isaac continues its path to New Orleans, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. It could get stronger by the time it's expected to reach the swampy coast of southeast Louisiana. (AP Photo/Cheryl Gerber)

• High waters surround signs noting reserved parking for Dauphin Island Ferry employees and for bait shop customers at the ferry landing Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012 on Dauphin Island, Ala. as residents prepare for the landfall of Hurricane Isaac along the Gulf Coast. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. It could get stronger by the time it's expected to reach the swampy coast of southeast Louisiana.(AP Photo/Mobile Register, G.M. Andrews) MAGS OUT

• A man sleeps outside a boarded-up building on Canal Street in New Orleans Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, prior to the approach of Isaac, which is expected to reach the swampy coast of southeast Louisiana by early Wednesday. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the storm, with 75 mph (120 kph) winds, had gained strength as it moved over the warm, open waters of the Gulf of Mexico. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

• Mobile County Sheriff's Deputy Aaron Swayze uses binoculars to view the the road conditions of the partially-flooded Highway 193 leading to Dauphin Island, Ala., Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012 as residents prepare for the landfall of Isaac along the Gulf Coast. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said Isaac became a Category 1 hurricane Tuesday with winds of 75 mph. It could get stronger by the time it's expected to reach the swampy coast of southeast Louisiana.(AP Photo/Mobile Register, G.M. Andrews) MAGS OUT

• A deserted Bourbon Street in the French Quarter is shown as Hurricane Isaac makes landfall Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in New Orleans. Hurricane Isaac made landfall south of New Orleans Tuesday night. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

• People play in the storm surge from Hurricane Isaac, on Lakeshore Drive along Lake Pontchartrain, as the storm nears land, in New Orleans, Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

• Isaac's rain and winds buffeted the streets of Waveland, Miss., Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012, the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina hitting the Gulf Coast. Isaac was packing 80 mph winds, making it a Category 1 hurricane. It came ashore early Tuesday near the mouth of the Mississippi River, driving a wall of water nearly 11 feet high inland and soaking a neck of land that stretches into the Gulf. The storm stalled for several hours before resuming a slow trek inland, and forecasters said that was in keeping with the its erratic history. The slow motion over land means Isaac could be a major soaker, dumping up to 20 inches of rain in some areas. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

• US-WEATHER-STORM

  People brave the rain and strong winds for a walk along the banks of the Mississippi River in New Orleans on August 28, 2012 in Louisiana, where Hurricane Isaac has made landfall. The US National Hurricane Center said a 'dangerous storm surge' was occurring along the northern Gulf Coast with storm surges of up to eight feet (2.4 meters) already being reported in Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. States of emergency have been declared in Louisiana and Mississippi, allowing authorities to coordinate disaster relief and seek emergency federal funds. AFP PHOTO / Frederic J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/GettyImages)

• US-WEATHER-STORM

  A group of men walk along a deserted Bourbon Street in New Orleans on August 28, 2012 in Louisiana, where Hurricane Isaac has made landfall. The US National Hurricane Center said a 'dangerous storm surge' was occurring along the northern Gulf Coast with storm surges of up to eight feet (2.4 meters) already being reported in Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. States of emergency have been declared in Louisiana and Mississippi, allowing authorities to coordinate disaster relief and seek emergency federal funds. AFP PHOTO / Frederic J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/GettyImages)

• US-WEATHER-STORM

  Strong winds and big waves engulf Lake Pontchartrain in New Orleans on August 28, 2012 in Louisiana, where Hurricane Isaac has made landfall. The US National Hurricane Center said a 'dangerous storm surge' was occurring along the northern Gulf Coast with storm surges of up to eight feet (2.4 meters) already being reported in Louisiana, Mississippi and Florida. States of emergency have been declared in Louisiana and Mississippi, allowing authorities to coordinate disaster relief and seek emergency federal funds. AFP PHOTO / Frederic J. BROWN (Photo credit should read FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/GettyImages)

• US Gulf Coast Prepares For Approaching Isaac

  BAY ST. LOUIS, MS - AUGUST 28: Gene Gibson pets his cat as water rises from the rising bayeux waters, flooding his property ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Isaac on August 28, 2012 in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Many residents of the area decided to stay in their homes instead of evacuate for the Level 1 hurricane. The area was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

• Residents of the Riverbend Nursing Center are evacuated to higher and safer ground as Hurricane Isaac makes landfall, Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012, in Jesuit Bend, La. Plaquemines Parish ordered a mandatory evacuation for the west bank of the Mississippi below Belle Chasse because of worries about a storm surge. The order affected about 3,000 people, including residents of the nursing home. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

• Danessa Lee, Ashanti Lee

  Danessa Lee, left, comforts her granddaughter Ashanti Lee, 12, after their family was rescued in Pearlington, Miss., by law enforcement officers and first responders using boats, Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012, during the nonstop rain from Isaac. A number of residents of the small community were trapped by the rising waters and had be rescued or waited until the low tide when waters receded so they could walk out. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

• Pearlington, Miss., residents are brought out of their flooded community by law enforcement officers and first responders using boats, Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012, during the nonstop rain from Isaac. A number of residents of the small community were trapped by the rising waters and had be rescued or waited until the low tide when waters receded so they could walk out. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

• Toccara Williams, Ra-Maaz Williams, Romaule Williams

  Toccara Williams, of Davant, La., hands their 5-month-old daughter Ra-Maaz Williams to her husband, Romaule Williams Jr., at an evacuation shelter after Isaac made landfall as a Hurricane, in Belle Chasse, La., Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012. Plaquemines Parish ordered a mandatory evacuation for the west bank of the Mississippi below Belle Chasse because of worries about a storm surge. The order affected about 3,000 people, including a nursing home with 112 residents. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

• Water flows out of the new 17th Street Canal pumping station as Hurricane Isaac hits Wednesday, Aug. 29, 2012, in New Orleans. As Isaac made landfall, it was expected to dump as much as 20 inches of rain in several parts of Louisiana. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

@ TIME : PHOTOS: Scenes of Isaac's wrath as hurricane tops levee, leaves 600,000 in dark | http://t.co/9gKFrtER

@ wunderground : Center of #Isaac almost directly over Baton Rouge, LA #LAwx http://t.co/PO33POYp

According to a White House press release, President Obama declared major disaster areas exist in Mississippi and Louisiana, and "ordered Federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the area affected by Hurricane Isaac beginning on August 26, 2012, and continuing."

For Mississippi:

Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work in the counties of Amite, Attala, Carroll, Clarke, Copiah, Covington, Forrest, George, Greene, Grenada, Hancock, Harrison, Hinds, Holmes, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson Davis, Jones, Lamar, Lauderdale, Lawrence, Lincoln, Madison, Marion, Montgomery, Pearl River, Perry, Pike, Rankin, Stone, Walthall, Wayne, Wilkinson, and Yazoo.

For Louisiana:

Federal funding is available to state and eligible local governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work in the parishes of Acadia, Allen, Ascension, Assumption, Avoyelles, Cameron, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Franklin, Iberia, Iberville, Jefferson, Jefferson Davis, Lafourche, Livingston, Morehouse, Natchitoches, Orleans, Ouachita, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, Rapides, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John the Baptist, St. Martin, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Vermilion, Washington, and West Baton Rouge.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

@ wunderground : Mississippi has also been declared a disaster area as well.

@ CBSNews : JUST IN to @CBSNews: President Obama Signs Louisiana Disaster Declaration http://t.co/ir9VstBX

According to a National Hurricane Center advisory issued at 10 p.m. CDT, the threat of heavy rain will move inland over the next few days, with water levels staying high along the northern Gulf Coast.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect for Cameron Louisiana to the Mississippi-Alabama border.

THE CENTER OF ISAAC WILL MOVE FARTHER INLAND OVER LOUISIANA TONIGHT AND TOMORROW...AND MOVE OVER SOUTHERN ARKANSAS THURSDAY NIGHT OR EARLY FRIDAY.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 60 MPH...95 KM/H...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE PRIMARILY OCCURRING OVER WATER OR NEAR THE COAST. STEADY WEAKENING IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT 48 HOURS AS ISAAC MOVES INLAND. ISAAC IS FORECAST TO BECOME A TROPICAL DEPRESSION ON THURSDAY.

Read the advisory here.

@ wunderground : Some reports are that 75% of New Orleans is without power at this hour.

@ andersoncooper : Curfew now in effect in #NewOrleans. Heavy police presence on the streets

Incredible pic RT“@kimseverson: #isaac animal lover update: Troopers in Madisonville, LA rescue fawn from floodwater yfrog.com/od2pcetj

— Ben Thompson (@Bentnews) August 30, 2012

AP's remote editing operation. @rvample @ #Isaac twitter.com/jacobjordan17/…

— Jacob Jordan (@jacobjordan17) August 30, 2012

@ MayorLandrieu : City Hall closed thru Monday, September 3rd. Need sufficient time to remove debris & ensure City Hall can reopen on 9/4. #nolaready #isaac

Sailboat beached by #Isaac at Shaggy's pier in Pass Christian MS #mswx #mobwx twitter.com/Bob_Grip/statu…

— Bob Grip (@Bob_Grip) August 30, 2012

@ chadmyerscnn : Outages from #Isaac around NOLA will take days to fix. Entergy says "we don't yet know when all of the power will be back on"

@ The_Gambit : And that's it from #nopd chief Serpas. You have 53 minutes until curfew - not just juveniles, but all residents of #nola #isaac

According to a National Hurricane Center advisory issued at 7 p.m. CDT, Isaac is still dumping heavy rains and creating a significant storm surge.

A tropical storm warning was discontinued for east of the Mississippi-Alabama border, with a warning remaining in effect for Cameron Louisiana to the Mississippi-Alabama border.

THE CENTER OF ISAAC WILL MOVE FARTHER INLAND OVER LOUISIANA TONIGHT AND TOMORROW...AND MOVE OVER SOUTHERN ARKANSAS BY EARLY FRIDAY.

EVEN THOUGH ISAAC IS NO LONGER A HURRICANE...LIFE-THREATENING HAZARDS FROM STORM SURGE AND INLAND FLOODING ARE STILL OCCURRING.

Read the full advisory here.

According to NOAAVisualizations, "NOAA's GOES-14 satellite took images of the storm at 1 minute intervals, showing the development of Isaac from a tropical storm to a hurricane in great temporal detail. The imagery is from the visible channel and runs from August 28 at 1008Z through August 29 at 0055Z."

WATCH:

@ The_Gambit : Latest @EntergyNOLA outage map shows sea of red all over #nola except for Fr Qtr and CBD http://t.co/wx1w62z0

@ Tom_Winter : @NBCNews in Gulfport, Miss. tornado damage from #Isaac, 20 minutes old. http://t.co/8ZhHHwA5

@ AP : BREAKING: State officials say levee in Louisiana's flooded Plaquemines Parish will be breached: http://t.co/ps32LVG4

@ twc_hurricane : BREAKING: MEMA reported tornado touchdown around 5:18-5:20pm on 17th Street in Gulfport, MS #Isaac

@ twc_hurricane : New Orleans airport: all flights canceled Thursday #Isaac #NOLA

@ wunderground : Over 9 inches of rain so far near Gulfport, MS. http://t.co/9koTfkN8 #Isaac

@ NOLAnews : State draining water from Plaquemines into Mississippi River at Caernarvon http://t.co/t3c7w1BC

@ edlavaCNN : "@cnnbrk: Local officials estimate up to 800 homes in Plaquemines Parish, LA have significant water damage. http://t.co/QpC9jCQU #Isaac"

According to the Associated Press, the first death in the United States attributed to Isaac has been reported:

Sheriff Mike Couvillon says a 36-year-old man had gone to help two friends move a vehicle from under a tree to prepare for Isaac on Tuesday, and fell to his death after climbing 18 feet up the tree.

Police have identified the man as Carlos Medellin-Guillen from Erath, Louisiana.

Click here for more information.

@ NOLAnews : Hurricane Isaac forces 'deliberate breach' of Plaquemines Parish levee, officials say http://t.co/rGlGMs3i

@ twc_hurricane : Center of #Isaac is now 35 miles south of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, or 60 miles west of New Orleans. #Isaac

According to public advisory #35 released by the National Hurricane Center, Isaac's decreased status does not mean it is less dangerous:

...ISAAC PRODUCING LIFE-THREATENING HAZARDS FROM STORM SURGE AND

INLAND FLOODING AS IT MOVES SLOWLY ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA...

Click here for more.

@ cnnbrk : 34 people rescued by boat in Hancock County, Miss. and 15 picked up by National Guard troops in trucks. http://t.co/yh1MUPdu #Isaac

Feeling sad. #Isaac took the home @jameshperry and I just bought.All safe. House was vacant except for my dreams. twitter.com/MHarrisPerry/s…

— Melissa Harris-Perry (@MHarrisPerry) August 29, 2012

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