Louisiana and Mississippi, including areas like New Orleans and the coast ravaged seven years ago by Hurricane Katrina, won't get off easy on Tropical Storm Isaac, forecasters say. It is on the verge of becoming Hurricane Isaac 2012, and it will strengthen before making landfall.
Though it appeared early today to perhaps make landfall as a low-level Category 1 storm, the latest forecast updates reveal with a high degree of confidence that the storm make landfall in Louisiana, possibly as a strong Category 2, before tracking across New Orleans and into Mississippi.
And, while coastal areas including the Mississippi coast still recovering in some respects from Katrina and New Orleans are expected to take a heavy blow from Hurricane Isaac, inland areas like Jackson and Shreveport should be on high alert. The storm may stall after it makes land late Tuesday or early Wednesday, pummeling the region with high winds and heavy rains, forecasters said.
With its massive size and ponderous movement, a strengthening Isaac could become a punishing rain machine depending on its power, speed and where it comes ashore along the Gulf Coast.
The focus has been on New Orleans as Isaac takes dead aim at the city seven years after Hurricane Katrina, but the impact will be felt well beyond the city limits. The storm's winds could be felt more than 200 miles from the storm's center.
The Gulf Coast region has been saturated thanks to a wet summer, and some officials have worried more rain could make it easy for trees and power lines to fall over in the wet ground. Too much water also could flood crops, and wind could topple plants like corn and cotton.
"A large, slow-moving system is going to pose a lot of problems — winds, flooding, storm surge and even potentially down the road river flooding," said Richard Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami. "That could happen for days after the event."
The storm's potential for destruction was not lost on Alabama farmer Bert Driskell, who raises peanuts, cotton, wheat, cattle and sod on several thousand acres near Grand Bay, in Mobile County.
Hurricane Isaac 2012 is making news even though Isaac is still a tropical storm. Forecasters expect the storm to gain strength and become a hurricane soon, but authorities aren't waiting for that to happen to ensure public safety.
As the storm gets closer to making landfall, it looks more and more like New Orleans is going to be ground zero. Although Isaac will not be as strong as the devastating hurricane Katrina, it will definitely make an impact on the gulf states.
"I think the state and local governments are much better prepared for the storm surge and emergencies," said NOLA resident John Coril.
Others don't agree, however, and think that authorities are overreacting just a bit.
"If it comes in, it's just going to be a big rainstorm. I think they overreacted, but I understand where they're coming from. It's safety," said Billy Cannon.
Of course, safety should be the first concern, and since there isn't a definite strength as of yet, it's possible that Hurricane Isaac could become a strong category 2 or even 3 storm.
Either of those scenarios wouldn't be good for NOLA or the gulf coast in general.
Are in the path of Hurricane Isaac? Are you evacuating and taking precautions?
