Hurricane Isaac updateIsaac leaves flooding, power outages in its path

Isaac leaves a trail of power outages and flooding in the Gulf // Source: gazetaidea.com

Hurricane Isaac lost its Category 1 hurricane status midday Wednesday and was downgraded to a tropical storm, but the severe rains and winds which it brought with it have not let up much. In total, Isaac has dropped nineteen inches of rain in the New Orleans area and President Barack Obama has declared areas in Louisiana and Mississippi as disaster areas.

The improved levees and drainage pumping systems in New Orleans have largely held up throughout the week as hoped, but residents were cautioned not to let down their guard.

“The fact that this [storm] is so large and that it is crawling along is keeping us in its grip.” said meteorologist Jim Cantore, who reported live for theWeather Channel Wednesday. “It took so long to develop and now, because it’s so big, it’s going to take equally long to wind down.”

The storm took over in LaPlace, where people had to be rescued and evacuated. People were taken to a processing center at a local church then bused to shelters outside of the parish.

According to Paige Falgoust, communications director for St. John the Baptist Parish, the water came so fast for some residents; it took some people completely by surprise. “In some areas the water levels rose in ten minutes to where they could not get out of their homes,” Falgoust told CNN.

A press release from Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal’s office stated that 1,500 people had been evacuated, with 1,500 more needing to be rescued. The state sent out eighty-nine buses to pick up residents to take them to shelters.

In Plaquemines Parish the situation is getting serious as 3,000 people remained in one area that was close to an 8-foot levee that was being threatened by the steady rains. Jindal himself has said that an estimate form local officials have reported as many as 800 homes with significant water damage.

Even worse for the parish is that at least four levees overtopped, creating a kind of flooding the parish did not see even during Hurricane Katrina, which hit seven years ago Wednesday.

The storm has brought out the worst in some people as officials have reported twelve looting incidents. According to the officials, arrests have been made in each case, but they wouldn’t specify how many individuals were involved.

For those who are hoping that a new day will bring relief will have to be patient as the storm is expected to continue to beat on Louisiana and the surrounding areas.

The punishing storm conditions will persist “all day today, into tonight, into tomorrow,” Richard Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center said Wednesday.

The number of power outages continues to increase as the number of homes and businesses without electricity is now up to 834,000 between Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Texas, and Arkansas, with over one-third of the outages in Louisiana alone.

Here are the latest reports from some of the states involved.

Louisiana
— Governor Bobby Jindal has reported that almost $24 million has been spent on emergency response efforts during a press conference Wednesday.
— All Amtrak service has been cancelled in New Orleans through Friday.
— School closures have been extended in many parishes in New Orleans, and there is now dusk-to -dawn curfew for the entire city.

Mississippi
— Most of the streets in Hattiesburg were hit with at least six inches of water, and the heavy rains will continue throughout the night.
— Thirteen inches of rain have fallen in Biloxi and 24,000 customers are without Wednesday, most of which are in Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties.

Alabama
— Things appear to be steeling down as tropical storm warnings were discontinued Wednesday night east of the Mississippi-Alabama border.
— Power has been restored to most the Mobile area late Wednesday night, but there are still about 800 homes and businesses without power.