Hurricane Isaac makes landfall in southeast Louisiana

Florida – Hurricane Isaac made landfall in southeastern Louisiana on Tuesday evening, bringing strong winds and a dangerous storm surge to the United States’ Gulf Coast.

Isaac killed at least 24 people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

It has also caused significant flooding and damage across the Caribbean and forced a day’s delay to the start of the Republican party’s congress in Tampa, Florida.

Oil production in the area has nearly ground to a halt, and ports and coastal refineries curtailed operations as Isaac approached.

The Alliance refinery in Belle Chasse, which is owned by Phillips 66 and produces 247,000 barrels a day, lost power on Tuesday night, the Times Picayune newspaper reported. But the company said it had already shut the facility down.
 
The storm has brought high winds, soaking rains and storm surges that will pose the first major test for multibillion-dollar flood protections put in place in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city and coast seven years ago.
Forecasts from the US National Hurricane Centre showed the storm possibly taking direct aim at New Orleans.

Storm surge flooding is already occurring in coastal areas of southeastern Louisiana, the National Hurricane Centre said in an advisory.

Earlier, the Army Corps of Engineers closed for the first time the massive new floodgate on the largest storm-surge barrier in the world, at Lake Borgne, east of New Orleans.

Isaac is bearing down on New Orleans seven years after the government’s botched handling of the much bigger Hurricane Katrina became a political disaster for President George Bush.

“Isaac has finally formed into a hurricane, so we are officially in the fight and the city of New Orleans is on the front lines,” New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu told reporters.

Some 50,000 people were set to evacuate the city.

Isaac achieved hurricane status shortly after President Barack Obama warned of the likelihood of significant damage from flooding.

Obama told people in its path to take the “big storm” seriously and to follow directions in a televised statement from the White House.

“I want to encourage all residents of the Gulf Coast to listen to your local officials and follow their directions, including if they tell you to evacuate,” Obama said.

“We’re dealing with a big storm and there could be significant flooding and other damage across a large area. Now is not the time to tempt fate. Now is not the time to dismiss official warnings. You need to take this seriously.”

His appearance was a reminder of the power of an incumbent president to intervene at politically advantageous moments, as he projected an image of strength and competence, just as Republicans met at their national convention in Tampa, Florida, to nominate former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney to take on Obama in November.

Earlier on Tuesday, Obama said he had ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency to be in place more than a week ago to coordinate with local officials from Puerto Rico to Florida, Louisiana and other Gulf of Mexico states.

“Right now, we already have response teams and supplies ready to help communities in the path of the storm,” he said.

Shortly before Isaac reached hurricane status on Tuesday, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal said the emergency declaration fell short of the federal help he had asked for.
 
Source: TOE www.timesofearth.com and agencies