Some local residents with boats have begun rescue efforts for Plaquemines Parish residents stranded by Hurricane Isaac along its east bank, outside the federal levee system. So far at least half a dozen people have been picked up, according to parish officials. Dozens of people on Plaquemines' east bank, south of St. Bernard Parish, reportedly are stranded, some in attics to escape flood waters that may have reached 5 to 9 feet in certain areas. 
 
 There are also as many as 65 people on the Belle Chasse/Scarsdale ferry landing in Plaquemines Parish, officials said. A search and rescue operation is underway there. Officials have received reports that the water is a foot from the top of the levee. 
 
 There is a nursing home in the Jesuit Bend area on the west bank that was not evacuated, and the Governor's office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness wants to try to evacuate it. 
 
 The parish levees on the east bank are about 8.5 feet, though some are as high as 12 feet. Some estimates have storm surge at 13 feet; corps officials this morning put the figure at 12.5 feet. Corps officials are saying that there are no confirmed reports of breaches, which suggest failures in levees. 
 
 Story by Benjamin Alexander-Bloch and Rebecca Mowbray Staff writers 
 
 The National Guard was to launch a larger rescue effort this morning, coming into the east bank through St. Bernard Parish. After the wind subsides, other water and air rescue efforts will follow. 
 
 While federal levees in the area appear to be holding, problems in Plaquemines Parish are occurring in areas not protected by the federal system, which was revamped after Katrina. 
 
 Along with the problems at Braithwaite, the levee overtoppings on the east bank are also affecting the Bel Air near White Ditch at River Mile 65. Parish officials have also received calls from a woman at Willspoint on the east bank who is claiming she received 9 feet of water and is in her attic. There are reports that the Woodlawn fire station, between Braithwaite and White Ditch, which received no water during Katrina, has been inundated with 5 feet of water. 
 
 Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser said he wants to cut a hole in the Mississippi River levee to drain the Braithwaite area. But the Army Corps is opposed to the plan and hopes to get pumps brought to the area. 
 
 "My reaction is big and as many as you've got," Col. Edward Fleming, district commander of the Army Corps of Engineers, said of the pumps. 
 
 When the storm is over, the distinction between a federal and non-federal levee will become salient, but for now, the Corps is able to help. Corps engineers are working on getting Plaquemines officials a hydrograph of the back of the levees by Jesuit Bend, so they can get a better handle on what they might be dealing with there. 
 
 Col. Fleming said Plaquemines officials need to think about getting better pumping capactity down there for future storms. 
 
 Guy Laigast, director of Plaquemines Parish's emergency preparedness, said some points may have seen winds of up to 110 mph. 
 
 "The devastation of my house is worse than Katrina and the flooding in Woodlawn is worse than Katrina, so those things tell me that the damage on the east bank is worse than Katrina," Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser said this morning. 
 
 When the daylight hit, parish officials and others were planning to get out and start examining the parish, "like fleas," said James Madere, a parish GIS analyst who will help assess damage. 
 
 Mark Riley, the deputy director of Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness who is stationed in Plaquemines this morning, told a Times-Picayune reporter that rescue operations would occur as soon as it was safe. 
 
 "The standard is we don't want to put first responders' lives in jeopardy and until there stops being an immediate threat to their lives we cannot put their lives at risk," Riley said. 
 
 It appears from current reports that as Isaac moves upward, it might start pushing water out of the east and into the west. Parish officials are now heavily monitoring Barataria Bay, which reportedly raised 2 feet in the last 90 minutes, from about 4:30 a.m. to 6 a.m. 
 
 The fear is that water would get pushed into Plaquemines' west bank levees and affect residents in Myrtle Grove and the Jesuit Bend area. While many of the homes along the levee in Myrtle Grove are raised about 14 feet, many of the Jesuit Bend are not as high. ||||| BATON ROUGE -- Gov. Bobby Jindal's chief coastal adviser said Wednesday a decision will be made later Wednesday on whether the levee on the east bank of Plaquemines Parish should be deliberately breached to relieve flood water pressure on it from Hurricane Isaac. 
 
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 Garret Graves said that would be the last resort if other means to relieve the pressure on the levees fail. 
 
 Jindal said that between nine and 40 people have been trapped on the east bank and are being rescued by the National Guard. 
 
 "Things are very fluid, very unsafe now," Graves said. That is why a decision on the deliberate breach will have to wait until later. 
 
 Earlier, state emergency management officials said that the 8-foot-tall non-federal levee near the Braithwaite community was being overtopped with flood water and they levee was being "scoured away." 
 
 "There has not been a breach yet," Jindal said at a noon news conference. "We are considering a deliberate breach to relieve the water pressure." 
 
 Jindal also said National Guard troops have been called out to evacuate about 3,000 residents of the west bank of Plaquemines, the areas south of the Belle Chasse-Jesuit bend area. 
 
 He said the non-federal levees are 8 feet tall and the water was about 8 feet high on the west bank so the evacuations were necessary. 
 
 Jindal was scheduled to inspect he levees and in Plaquemines Parish later Wednesday. 
 
 Ed Anderson can be reached at eanderson@timespicayune.com or 225.342.5810. ||||| New Orleans mayor imposes dusk-to-dawn curfew 
 
 More than 817,000 without power across 5 states 
 
 Isaac's maximum sustained winds slip to 60 mph 
 
 Emergency crews rescue people stranded by floods 
 
 Refresh this page for the latest updates or read the full CNN story here. 
 
 [Updated 10:28 p.m. ET] 
 
 [Updated 10:20 p.m. ET] Water that overtopped levees was trapped in Plaquemines Parish with nowhere to drain. Officials were considering intentionally breaching a levee downstream to allow some of the floodwater to flow back out of the inundated area, Gov. Bobby Jindal said. 
 
 Parish President Billy Nungesser said parish officials will go out at low tide to check the back levee - a second line of defense - at the town of Braithwaite and determine where to punch holes in it. It will be Saturday, at the earliest, before crews can cut the levee open, letting water flow out into the marsh. 
 
 [Updated 10 p.m. ET] 
 
 [Updated 9:52 a.m. ET] New Orleans officials said there had been 12 incidents of looting. Police said arrests were made in each case, but didn't specify how many people were involved. 
 
 [Updated 9:48 p.m. ET] Lake Pontchartrain's water levels are "beginning to stabilize," St. Tammany Parish officials said, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. Water had spilled out from the lake and flooded low-lying areas of the parish. 
 
 Rescues continue in areas around the vast Louisiana lake, including Lewisburg, Guste Island, Lacombe and Slidell, the newspaper's website reported. 
 
 
 
 [Updated 9:29 p.m. ET] Joey Amann gathered family and friends into his home in Hancock County, Mississippi, to ride out the storm, he told CNN affiliate WALA. 
 
 "You know, we just figured we'd be safer in numbers. Since our house is eight feet off the ground, we figured we'd be safer there but the water just kept coming," Amann said. 
 
 "It was scary. I mean, I've never seen the water raise this fast on this road and I've been here all my life. It just came out of nowhere." 
 
 The group ended up being rescued by emergency personnel in boats. 
 
 Amann told the station he lost his home to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. 
 
 "Thirty-six years I've lived here, and it's just devastating," he said. "Seven years ago, we were going through the same thing. No one thought it would be this bad, but it's worse than we anticipated." 
 
 [Updated 9:18 p.m. ET] Power has been restored earlier than expected to most of Dauphin Island, Alabama, CNN affiliate WALA reported. The western end of the island in Mobile Bay remains in the dark because roads there are impassable, Alabama Power said. 
 
 [Updated 9:07 p.m. ET] Jefferson Parish Council member Chris Roberts said "tar patties," presumably from the 2010 BP oil spill, had washed up on Grand Isle, Louisiana, during the storm. 
 
 [Updated 8:59 p.m. ET] A volunteer in the St. John the Baptist Parish sheriff's office said more than 200 residents in LaPlace, about 25 miles northwest of New Orleans, had been rescued from rising water coming from Lake Pontchartrain. 
 
 [Updated 8:05 p.m. ET] Tropical Storm Isaac's top sustained winds slipped to 60 mph in the National Hurricane Center's latest update. The storm was centered 30 miles south of Baton Rouge and 60 miles west of New Orleans, and had slowed its northwestern crawl even further to 5 mph. 
 
 [Updated 7:37 p.m. ET] The Federal Emergency Management Agency, in coordination with U.S. Northern Command, deployed four UH-60 Blackhawk helicopters from Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and two SH-60 Seahawk helicopters from Norfolk Naval Air Station, Virginia, to assist in search and rescue efforts. 
 
 National Guard troops moved 112 residents from a nursing home in Plaquemines Parish to another facility. 
 
 [Updated 7:16 p.m. ET] New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu assured residents the drinking water has remained safe to drink throughout the storm, and the sanitary sewer system is operating perfectly, so no one needs to restrict toilet flushing. 
 
 
 
 [Updated 7:01 p.m. ET] "It appears that the worst of this storm is moving past us now," New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu told CNN affiliate WWL, but he reiterated that a curfew remains in place until 6 a.m. Thursday. He also warned those who do travel the streets that many traffic signals are down, so drivers should treat every intersection as a four-way stop. 
 
 "What we got today was terrible, but I think we did a pretty good job," he added. "... A Category 1 can be as bad as a Category 5 if it hangs around." 
 
 Landrieu advised people to be very careful during the cleanup phase, when more than half of hurricane-related deaths occur. 
 
 The mayor also reminded residents that police are employing a no-tolerance policy for looting. "They're on it like gravy on rice," he told WWL. 
 
 [Updated 6:45 p.m. ET] The first line of defense in any disaster is neighbors helping neighbors. 
 
 [Updated 6:35 p.m. ET] 
 
 [Updated 6:28 p.m. ET] A 21-foot seawall built in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, after Hurricane Katrina is "holding up very well," Mayor Les Fillingame told CNN affiliate WWL. 
 
 "Every storm has its own personality, its own footprint. ... This, for a Category 1 storm that made landfall really not that close to us, has had such persistence," he said. "This may be the new norm." 
 
 He said perhaps 100 homes will end up being flooded by the time the storm blows over, rather than the 1,000 that might have been flooded before the seawall was built and building elevation standards improved. 
 
 [Updated 6:18 p.m. ET] A new tornado warning was issued for Harrison County, Mississippi, as a persistent rain band continues to race north from the Gulf of Mexico, CNN affiliate WWL reported. 
 
 [Updated 6:01 p.m. ET] Floodwater has overtopped a third levee in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, Parish President Billy Nungesser told CNN. 
 
 [Updated 5:54 p.m. ET] Biloxi, Mississippi, police are stopping vehicles on city streets and enforcing a curfew until further notice, Officer Jackie Rhodes told CNN affiliate WLOX. People who were arrested for looting during Hurricane Katrina seven years ago are still in prison, he said. 
 
 [Updated 5:46 p.m. ET] The National Hurricane Center said 17 inches of rain has fallen during Tropical Storm Isaac at Audubon Park in New Orleans. 
 
 [Updated 5:41 p.m. ET] More than 817,000 customers are without power, utilities along the Gulf Coast report. 
 
 [Updated 5:06 p.m. ET] Coffins float out of flooded graves in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, CNN affiliate WWL reports. 
 
 [Updated 4:52 p.m. ET] The National Hurricane Center says the storm is now centered 60 miles west of New Orleans and 35 south of Baton Rouge, still packing 70 mph winds and moving northwest at 6 mph. 
 
 [Updated 4:49 p.m. ET] Harrison County, Mississippi, is under a tornado warning until 4:15 p.m. 
 
 [Updated 4:44 p.m. ET] As many as 800 homes may have suffered significant water damage in Plaquemines Parish alone, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal says. 
 
 Meanwhile, water is said to be 12 feet deep and rising in Madisonville, Louisiana, CNN affiliate WWL reports. 
 
 [Updated 4:36 p.m. ET] Flash flood warnings are in place for all or portions of the following counties: 
 
 In Louisiana: Ascension, East Baton Rouge, Jefferson, Livingston, Orleans, St. Charles, St. John The Baptist, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Washington 
 
 In Mississippi: Forrest, George, Greene, Harrison, Lamar, Marion, Pearl River, Perry, Stone, Walthall 
 
 In Alabama: Mobile 
 
 [Updated 4:30 p.m. ET] The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration provides tools to keep abreast of weather developments. 
 
 
 
 [tweethttps://twitter.com/NOAA/status/240890920696958976] 
 
 [Updated 4 p.m. ET] New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu has imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew in the city until further notice. 
 
 "I'll make it really simple: if you loot, you get an orange suit," says @MayorLandrieu #NOLAready — 
 
 NOLA Ready (@nolaready) August 29, 2012 
 
 [Updated 3:42 p.m. ET] CNN affiliate WWL reports major flooding in LaPlace, Louisiana, and boat rescues are taking place. 
 
 [Updated 3:21 p.m. ET] Public and private schools throughout southern Louisiana will not reopen until Tuesday, CNN affiliate WGNO reports. 
 
 [Updated 3:04 p.m.] Isaac has weakened to tropical storm status, as its sustained winds have dropped to 70 mph, the National Hurricane Center said. The storm's location at 3 p.m. ET was about 50 miles west-southwest of New Orleans and 55 miles south-southeast of Baton Rouge. It was crawling northwest at 6 mph. 
 
 [Updated 2:49 p.m.] Granted, this storm is no Katrina, but it's still disastrous to many people - and animals - in its path. 
 
 
 
 [Updated 2:40 p.m.] Hurricane Isaac has knocked out power to more than 725,000 customers in five states, the affected utilities report. 
 
 [Updated 2:32 p.m. ET] President Barack Obama received a briefing from federal officials on the impact of Hurricane Isaac and held a conference call Wednesday with the governors of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, and the mayor of New Orleans, the White House said. 
 
 "The president heard from the governors and mayor about the current conditions on the ground and the steps their teams are taking to respond. The president asked the governors to continue to identify any additional needs if they arise as the effects of Isaac and the response efforts continue," the White House said. 
 
 [Updated 2:25 p.m. ET Wednesday] Power could be out in some areas of Louisiana for as much as a week, Bill Mole, CEO of Entergy Louisiana, tells CNN affiliate WWL. 
 
 [Updated 2:19 p.m. ET Wednesday] Hurricane Isaac's slow, rainy march through Louisiana is expected to cause as much as $1.5 billion in insured losses, according to one disaster modeling firm, CNNMoney reports. 
 
 [Updated 2:18 p.m. ET Wednesday] Heavy squalls spawned by Hurricane Isaac continue to slap New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the National Weather Service said. The storm's center is 45 miles southwest of New Orleans and 55 miles south-southeast of Baton Rouge, it says. 
 
 [Updated 2:13 p.m. ET Wednesday] The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for Harrison County, Mississippi, including the cities of Biloxi and Gulfport. 
 
 PIC: Tombs, caskets floating in flood water from above ground cemetery near Braithwaite, LA. #Isaac #wfaaisaac ow.ly/i/Td77 — 
 
 Jason Whitely (@JasonWhitely) August 29, 2012 
 
 [Updated 2:09 p.m ET Wednesday] At least 673,039 customers are without power in Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas because of Hurricane Isaac, according to the latest numbers from power providers. 
 
 [Updated 2:07 p.m. ET Wednesday] On the lighter side, we have an iReport that may spark some smiles during this tough time for the Gulf Coast. 
 
 Greg Taylor of Mandeville, Louisiana, sent his wife and two children to Alabama to escape the storm. Taylor stayed behind and when he went into his daughter Ashley's room to feed her fish, a beta named Tom Brady, Taylor found that the 8-year-old had left behind a list of instructions for her stuffed animals. 
 
 Among them: "Noises: Scoot close to your buddy" and "When I'm gone: Stay Calm. No Partys." 
 
 [Updated 1:46 p.m. ET Wednesday] Dozens of road closures have been reported by the Louisiana State Patrol over the past 24 hours. Click here for the latest information. 
 
 [Updated 1:40 p.m. ET Wednesday] Gov. Bobby Jindal says there's an unconfirmed report of a fatality in a fire at a commercial building in Gretna, near New Orleans. News reports say heavy winds from Isaac kept firefighters from battling the blaze. 
 
 [Updates 1:34 p.m. ET Wednesday] More than 8,200 National Guard personnel are available for relief operations in Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal says. As of this morning, 4,130 people are in shelters across Louisiana, the governor added. 
 
 [Updated 1:32 p.m. ET Wednesday] Entergy Corporation, which provides power in New Orleans and parts of Mississippi and Texas, has 10,000 workers and contractors from 24 states responding to power outages, said spokesperson Chanel Lagarde. The company says it has more than 550,000 customers without power. 
 
 [Updated 1:26 p.m. ET Wednesday] Authorities are using high-water vehicles to evacuate nursing home residents in flooded areas of Plaquemines Parish, Gov. Bobby Jindal says. 
 
 [Updated 1:25 p.m. ET Wednesday] Gov. Bobby Jindal says authorities are considering intentionally breaching part of an east bank levee in Plaquemines Parish to relieve pressure on the levee. 
 
 [Updated 1:23 p.m. ET Wednesday] The Mississippi Highway Patrol reports the following road closures: 
 
 - U.S. 90 between Bay St. Louis and the Biloxi Bay Bridge. 
 
 - Highway 43/603 between U.S. 90 and I-10 
 
 - Highway 604 north of U.S. 90 at Pearlington 
 
 - Highway 43/603 at Jourdan River 
 
 - U.S. 90 at Whites Bayou near Pearlington 
 
 Closures are expected to last until 5 pm Friday. 
 
 [Updated 1:02 p.m. ET Wednesday] Gulf Power Company announced that it has restored power to more than 20,000 customers in Northwest Florida, CNN affiliate WKRG reports. 
 
 Scattered outages remain, and spokesman Jeff Rogers warned that more outages are possible throughout the day. 
 
 Feeling sad. #Isaac took the home @JamesHPerry and I just bought. All safe. House was vacant except for my dreams. http://t.co/h62AkGPB — 
 
 Melissa Harris-Perry (@MHarrisPerry) August 29, 2012 
 
 9.26" of rain has fallen in New Orleans so far, 5.21" in Mobile, and 3.42" in Gulfport, all as of 10am CDT. — 
 
 Weather Underground (@wunderground) August 29, 2012 
 
 [Updated 12:39 p.m. ET Wednesday] The University of Louisiana-Monroe is canceling classes as of 4 p.m. today through Labor Day, school President Nick J. Bruno announced on the university's website. 
 
 [Updated 12:35 p.m. ET Wednesday] Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is scheduled to hold a news conference at 12:55 p.m. ET in Baton Rouge, while New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu will hold one at 1:30 p.m. ET. 
 
 
 
 State Officials Ask Residents to Report Oil, Oily Material or Oiled Debris #Isaac emergency.louisiana.gov/docs/2012-08-2… — 
 
 Louisiana GOHSEP (@GOHSEP) August 29, 2012 
 
 [Updated 12:27 p.m. ET Wednesday] Seventy-five people have been rescued from flooded homes and rooftops in the Louisiana town of Braithwaite in Plaquemines Parish, CNN affiliate WWL reported, citing parish President Billy Nungesser. At least 25 others were "awaiting rescue on the parish's east bank on rooftops and in attics," the station reported. 
 
 [Updated 12:24 p.m. ET Wednesday] Residents have been ordered to evacuate from new areas of Plaquemines Parish, CNN affiliate WVUE reports. Water will start rising from the Oakville flood gate to Venice. School buses will be sent through the area to pick up people, the reports says. 
 
 [Updated 12:14 p.m. ET Wednesday] Not even Isaac can stop one of Louisiana's favorite pastimes: LSU still plans to play its football game against North Texas on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, coach Les Miles tells CNN affiliate WBRZ. 
 
 [Updated 12:08 p.m. ET Wednesday] The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for Hancock, Harrison and Pearl River counties in Mississippi. 
 
 [Updated 12:06 p.m. ET Wednesday] Interstate 10 between Baton Rouge and New Orleans is closed because of high water, state Police Superintendent Mike Edmonson tells CNN affiliate WDSU. 
 
 [Updated 11:59 a.m. ET Wednesday] Petty officer Ryan Tippets says all Coast Guard assets are in standby mode and “as soon as the storm passes, the Coast Guard will be out there.” 
 
 [Updated 11:43 a.m. ET Wednesday] Gas prices that are rising because of Hurricane Isaac could begin to drop as early as Monday, said the Oil Price Information Service, which reports petroleum pricing news. 
 
 [Updated 11:32 a.m. ET Wednesday] Nearly 654,000 customers are without power in Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas as a result of Hurricane Isaac, power companies reported Wednesday. 
 
 [Updated 11:28 a.m. ET Wednesday] iReporter Alekz Londos is a freelance photojournalist who traveled from Santa Cruz, California, to cover Isaac. He’s submitted video of waves crashing into the Orleans Marina on Lake Ponchartrain. 
 
 [Updated 11:22 a.m. ET Wednesday] There may be a silver lining to Isaac’s arrival in the Gulf states. Though it’s too late to benefit summer crops such as corn and soybeans, the rain from the storm could bring some much-needed hydration to parts of Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Tennessee and Missouri, AccuWeather reports. 
 
 If the rain moves far enough westward it could also benefit the wheat crops in the central and southern Plains. Wheat is generally planted in September, AccuWeather says. 
 
 [Updated 11:19 a.m. ET Wednesday] Residents of Plaquemines Parish made more than 150 calls to be rescued from rising flood waters since 2:30 a.m. this morning, parish Cmdr. Terry Rutherford tells CNN. 
 
 Sheriff's boats, National Guard boats and civilians are participating in the rescue operations, Rutherford said. 
 
 Rutherford says there is 5 feet to 14 feet of flood water in the east bank area of the parish. 
 
 Hurricane safety tips: What to do when the lights go out 
 
 [Updated 11:15 a.m. ET Wednesday] Louisiana State University will remain closed through Thursday because of Hurricane Isaac, according to a release posted to the schools website. 
 
 [Updated 11:10 a.m. ET Wednesday] Despite annual improvements for the last several years to the Plaquemine Parish levees, they just couldn’t stand up to Isaac’s storm surge, said parish President Billy Nungusser. 
 
 “This storm was not a Category 1. This storm delivered a punch, and we saw water come over those levees more than (during) Gustav and Ivan. And it continues to flow,” he told CNN. 
 
 In Woodlawn, an area along the Mississippi River that saw no flooding during Katrina, there is 5 feet of water. In other areas along the river’s east bank, there are reports of 12 to 14 feet of water that has stranded people in attics and on roofs. 
 
 “This storm continues to just pump water into that area like we’ve never seen before.,” Nungusser said, adding that residents along the west bank are worried that Isaac could deliver destruction across the river before it passes through the area. 
 
 [Updated 11:06 a.m. ET Wednesday] At 11 a.m. ET, the National Hurricane Center says Isaac remains a hurricane with winds of 75 mph, gusting to 100 mph. The center is directly over Houma, Louisiana, about 45 miles southwest of New Orleans. Tropical storm warnings for coastlines east of the Alabama-Florida border have been discontinued. Hurricane warnings remain in effect for coastlines east of Morgan City, Louisiana, to the Mississippi-Alabama border, including the city of New Orleans and Lake Pontchartrain. 
 
 [Updated 11:03 a.m. ET Wednesday] The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, a 24-mile-long bridge over the lake connecting the New Orleans suburb of Metairie with Mandeville on the north side of the lake, is closed because of high winds and will likely remain so through Wednesday, the Times-Picayune reports. 
 
 [Updated 10:48 a.m. ET Wednesday] At least 5,200 people spent the night in Red Cross shelters in the storm area, Jonathan Aiken, a spokesperson for the Red Cross tells CNN. The Red Cross operates 80 shelters in six states. 
 
 [Updated 10:46 a.m. ET Wednesday] iReporter Eileen Romero of New Orleans found two homes that had collapsed in the Mid-City neighborhood. You can see her photos here and here. 
 
 [Updated 10:40 a.m. ET Wednesday] Hurricane Isaac has left at least 559,332 customers without power in Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama, power companies said Wednesday. The bulk of the outages are in Louisiana. 
 
 [Updated 10:38 a.m. ET Wednesday] Mobile Regional Airport authorities say the facility's runways will be open Wednesday and passengers will be kept informed of today's flight operations. Mobile is a southwestern Alabama city on the Gulf Coast, which has been slammed by Hurricane Isaac. 
 
 [Updated 10:31 a.m. ET Wednesday] All of Dauphin Island is without power – and this time it’s not totally Isaac’s fault. 
 
 According to CNN affiliate WPMI, a boater had to be rescued from his sail boat because of the nasty conditions on the water. The abandoned ship still had its sails raised, and it floated down toward the Dauphin Island Bridge, where it hit a power line that pumps electricity to the island’s 1,200 residents. 
 
 The ship then turned back into the Gulf and crews are trying to get the boat under control. Meanwhile, the causeway is closed and a curfew will go into effect later today. 
 
 [Updated 10:24 a.m. ET Wednesday] Hurricane Isaac is weakening "slightly" as it moves inland over southeastern Louisiana, the National Weather Service said. The storm has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, and its center is about 50 miles south-southwest of New Orleans. A storm becomes a hurricane when those winds reach 74 mph. 
 
 [Updated 10:24 a.m. ET Wednesday] Tornado warnings have been issued for Washington Parish in Louisiana and Hancock and Pearl River counties in Mississippi, the National Weather Service says. 
 
 [Updated 10:22 a.m. ET Wednesday] Deputies and residents in Louisiana's Plaquemines Parish were working to reach people trapped in attics and on roofs by high water spawned by Hurricane Isaac, CNN affiliate WWL reported. 
 
 [Updated 10:15 a.m. ET Wednesday] Public schools in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, will not reopen until Tuesday, the district says in a posting on its website. 
 
 [Updated 10:13 a.m. ET Wednesday] A tornado warning is in effect for parts of Hancock and Harrison counties in Mississippi, the National Weather Service says. 
 
 [Updated 10:07 a.m. ET Wednesday] Water was encroaching on an evacuation shelter in Raceland, in Lafourche Parish, reports Gina Swanson from CNN affiliate WDSU. 
 
 The majority of the city of Baker is without power. #isaac #isaacon9 — 
 
 (@WAFB) August 29, 2012 
 
 [Updated 9:58 a.m. ET Wednesday] Tulane University in New Orleans has canceled all classes until Tuesday, the school has announced on its website. 
 
 "Students on campus are safe and still sheltering in place in residence halls," the school said. 
 
 [Updated 9:49 a.m. ET Wednesday] Hurricane Isaac is posing a significant threat for inland flooding. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration such flooding "the hidden danger of tropical cyclones." Inland flooding accounts for more than 50% of hurricane-related deaths, NOAA says. Check out their web page on the dangers. 
 
 #Isaac Let friends/family know you're OK by sending a text or updating your social networks. Limit voice calls to emergencies only. — 
 
 FEMA (@fema) August 29, 2012 
 
 [Updated 9:40 a.m. ET Wednesday] After Katrina, carpenter Bill Boesch rebuilt his and his wife’s house with an extra level “just in case.” As Isaac approached, he was prepared with coolers and a generator, but the storm conjured some unpleasant memories from seven years ago. 
 
 “It just brings all of that back up – you know, that whole experience and the loss,” he said. 
 
 Wind sustained at 43 mph with a wind gust to 58 mph at Baton Rouge Metro Airport! #Isaac is showing up now! — 
 
 WBRZ News (@WBRZ) August 29, 2012 
 
 [Updated 9:22 a.m. ET Wednesday] In Mississippi, there are about 2,132 evacuees housed in 31 shelters across the state, CNN affiliate WCBI reports. The station said about 4,000 homes were without power as of 5:30 a.m. CT. 
 
 If you're in Mississippi and need to evacuate, the Red Cross has a list of available shelters on its website. 
 
 The Louisiana Red Cross has a list as well. 
 
 Disaster Distress Helpline offers crisis counseling & avail 24/7 for states in path of #Isaac: 1800-985-5990 / text TalkWithUs to 66746 — 
 
 Distress Helpline (@distressline) August 28, 2012 
 
 Tornado Warning issued in Perry, George, Stone counties in MS #Isaac — 
 
 (@WKRG) August 29, 2012 
 
 [Updated 9:20 a.m. ET Wednesday] A couple, their 6-month-old baby and family dog were rescued from a houseboat on the Pearl River this morning, according to The Sun Herald, a newspaper that covers the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The incident occurred in Pearlington, just 100 feet from the Louisiana state line. Emergency and wildlife officials brought the family to safety after rising water trapped the family on the boat, the paper reported. 
 
 [Updated 9:17 a.m. ET Wednesday] 522,228 customers are without power in Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi, according to power providers Entergy, Alabama Power, and Cleco. 
 
 [Updated 9:15 a.m. ET Wednesday] The center of Hurricane Isaac is 40 miles southwest of New Orleans, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory Wednesday. Strong squalls from the storm are battering southeastern Louisiana and heavy rains and a "dangerous storm surge" are likely to continue into the evening, the advisory said. 
 
 [Updated 9:14 a.m. ET Wednesday] An elderly Florida may have been disoriented from heavy rain associated with then-Tropical Storm Isaac when she drove into a retention pond and drowned Monday, CNN affiliate WFTV in Orlando reports. 
 
 The body of 89-year-old Margaret Langewisch was found in her Mazda in the 18-foot-deep pond in Winter Springs on Tuesday. 
 
 "We had a torrential downpour for 10 or 15 minutes and I think that's what the problem was because she must have missed the first right and thought she was going to the clubhouse," resident Tony Palmiotti is quoted as saying. 
 
 [Updated 9:07 a.m. ET Wednesday] Alabama Power reports that about 5,600 customers are without power, mostly on Dauphin Island, in Bayou la Batre and other areas in south Mobile County. Another 1,100 are without power in the Theodore area. Alabama Power says all customers should have power restored by day's end. 
 
 [Updated 9:05 a.m. ET Wednesday] With Isaac now moving at the torpid pace of 6 mph, National Hurricane Center Director Richard Knabb tells CNN that the storm's eye has yet to pass through the region and residents in the area can expect pounding rain "all day today, into tonight, into tomorrow." 
 
 "For many people, it's not even half over," Knabb said. 
 
 [Updated 9:01 a.m. ET Wednesday] As Isaac's winds and rain continue to hamper government services in Louisiana and Mississippi, the city of Pensacola, Florida, has announced it is back to business, according to CNN affiliate WALA. City Hall, libraries, garbage service and the Pensacola International Airport were all operational as of this morning, the station reported. 
 
 [Updated 8:53 a.m. ET Wednesday] Three adults and one infant in Mississippi were rescued overnight from a houseboat as Hurricane Isaac hit the region, the state's emergency operations center said Wednesday. 
 
 [Updated 8:42 a.m. ET Wednesday] Today is the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina making landfall on the Gulf Coast seven years ago. CNN has put together a few pieces in remembrance of the natural disaster that killed hundreds and left the region reeling. There's a photo gallery as well as a video package revisiting the destruction left in Katrina's wake. 
 
 [Updated 8:36 a.m. ET Wednesday] The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning for several Louisiana cities, including Timberlane, Metairie, Marrero, Kenner, Harvey, Avondale, New Orleans, New Orleans East, Chalmette and Hahnville. The warnings, which affect St. Bernard, St. Charles, Orleans and Jefferson parishes, are in effect until 9:45 a.m. CT. 
 
 [Updated 8:31 a.m. ET Wednesday] Please remember, if you're on or near the Gulf and have stories, photos or videos to share, please send them to iReport. Thanks! 
 
 WEATHER UPDATE: Flash flood warning extended through 9:45 a.m. fb.me/1Q3S7pIQU — 
 
 St. Charles Parish (@stcharlesgov) August 29, 2012 
 
 [Updated 8:28 a.m. ET Wednesday] Mississippi and Louisiana residents who didn't evacuate and aren't in danger should stay put until the winds and rain pass, FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said. 
 
 "We have resources ready to go, but until the winds come down, we're really asking people, if you're not somewhere that's dangerous, stay where you're at unless you're told to evacuate," he told CNN. 
 
 [Updated 8:06 a.m. ET Wednesday] In Destin, Florida, more than 200 miles east of New Orleans, there are reports of heavy damage, including a broken-down boardwalk near a condominium development. CNN affiliate WEAR reported that waters from the Gulf essentially swallowed the beach before flooding the streets in the resort town that styles itself as "The World's Luckiest Fishing Village." More than 11,000 people live in the city, which is located on an isthmus separated from the Florida mainland by the Choctawhatchee Bay. 
 
 Resident Kris Thurman told WEAR, "It seems like we've been in this pattern where every season if a tropical storm or a hurricane gets anywhere near the Gulf, even if it's not a direct hit, the sea rises and it washes out the beach." 
 
 According to the Public Service Commission, at least 486,298 people in Louisiana are without power. #Isaac — 
 
 Louisiana GOHSEP (@GOHSEP) August 29, 2012 
 
 [Updated 7:48 a.m. ET] Several environmental groups have expressed concerns that Isaac could stir up some of the remnant crude from the BP oil spill more than two years ago. BP rejected the notion in a statement to Huffington Post. 
 
 SkyTruth, an environmental group specializing in remote sensing and digital mapping is encouraging residents in the area to post photos of any oil pollution they see to the SkyTruth website. 
 
 "That's the most obvious way that the oil might come back into the public eye. Erosion could expose and churn up tar balls and tar mats," SkyTruth President John Amos told HuffPo. 
 
 [Updated 7:44 a.m. ET] A tornado watch remains in effect for southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi until 4 p.m. CT Wednesday, the National Weather Service says. 
 
 [Updated 7:41 a.m. ET] Gas prices shot up by nearly 5 cents a gallon nationwide Wednesday after Hurricane Isaac cut output from refineries along the Gulf Coast, CNNMoney reports. 
 
 But experts say the price spike is likely to be short lived, especially since the winds associated with the Category 1 storm are not believed to have caused lasting damage to the refineries in the region. 
 
 Wholesale gas prices were already falling Tuesday ahead of the storm making land, and were sharply lower Wednesday. 
 
 Click here for state-by-state gas prices. 
 
 [Updated 7:37 a.m. ET] Because Isaac is moving so slowly, it is not expected to complete the 70-mile trek from New Orleans to the capital, Baton Rouge, until late morning or early afternoon, several Louisiana news outlets are reporting. 
 
 According to CNN affiliate WFAB, forecasters are saying Isaac could take 12 hours to travel from south of the Crescent City to the capital and that the center of the storm is expected to pass through Wednesday afternoon. Tropical storm-force winds are expected for a "prolonged period," the station reported. 
 
 [Updated 7:34 a.m. ET] The National Weather Service issues a tornado warning for Gulfport, Biloxi and Long Beach in Mississippi. 
 
 [Updated 7:27 a.m. ET] The Louisiana attorney general has issued a statement reminding the state's sex offenders the evacuating because of the storm foes not relinquish them of the responsibility to notify law enforcement of their whereabouts, CNN affiliate WAFB reports. 
 
 They can either phone law enforcement or register their location on the internet at www.offenderwatchexpress.com. 
 
 "Under Louisiana law, you are required to notify law enforcement of any changes in residence, including any temporary situation that may cause an absence from your usual place of residence for more than seven days," according to the release. 
 
 [Updated 7:24 a.m. ET] "The water came up so quick it looks like we lost everything," a Plaquemines Parish resident tells CNN affiliate WWLTV. Listen as he talks to the station from his attic. 
 
 [Updated 7:10 a.m. ET] Its large size and slow motion are worsening the effects of Hurricane Isaac, making it seem a stronger storm than the Category 1 storm it is, Richard Knabb, director of National Hurricane Center, tells CNN’s Soledad O’Brien. 
 
 [Updated 7:03 a.m. ET] Three people have been rescued from flooding in Plaquemines Parish, including one woman rescued from a roof, parish President Billy Nungesser, tells CNN's Soledad O'Brien. 
 
 [Updated 6:54 a.m. ET] 438,150 customers are without power in Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas, according to power provider Entergy's storm information site. 
 
 @nolaready I'm digging that the official emergency preparedness handle of #nola just coined this hash tag #TurnAroundDontDrown — 
 
 LAUREN ALEXiS (@1aurenalexis) August 29, 2012 
 
 [Updated 6:47 a.m. ET] Louisiana Commissioner of Administration Paul Rainwater announced that all state government offices will be closed today, CNN affiliate WAFB in Baton Rouge reports. 
 
 Winds so strong near New Orleans, the Lakefront ASOS detecting the rain drops as snow. Lakefront Airport 08:53 Light Snow Fog and Windy. — 
 
 Alan Crone (@alancrone) August 29, 2012 
 
 [Updated 6:42 a.m. ET] Animal shelters in New Orleans and Gulfport, Mississippi, were forced to ship several pets awaiting adoption to North Texas, according to CNN affiliate WDSU. The two shelters sent a collective 175 cats and 105 dogs to two Texas shelters. 
 
 To make room for the animals, which arrived yesterday, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is offering discounts on adoption fees, the station reported. 
 
 The NWS is receiving reports of up to 5 feet of water in the areas of the overtopped levee near Braithwaite, LA. Residents saying up to 10ft — 
 
 CNN Weather Center (@CNNweather) August 29, 2012 
 
 
 
 [Updated 6:36 a.m. ET] The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for Jackson County in southern Mississippi. 
 
 [Updated 6:32 a.m. ET] CNN's Brian Todd in New Orleans reports rising waters in the streets. 
 
 [Updated 6:25 a.m. ET] The National Weather Service has issued a tornado warning for portions of Hancock and Harrison counties in Mississippi. 
 
 A state-by-state look at the effects of Hurricane Isaac 
 
 415,000 without power, according to Entergy map, nearly 300,000 in Jefferson and Orleans bit.ly/f8kHaI — 
 
 WWL-TV (@WWLTV) August 29, 2012 
 
 [Updated 5:49 a.m. ET] Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser is a personal victim of Hurricane Isaac, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. 
 
 Winds have ripped parts of the roof off his home and water has been pouring in, the paper reported. 
 
 [Updated 5:44 a.m. ET] There have been reports of 10 to 12 feet of water in homes in Plaquemines Parish, parish President Billy Nungesser told CNN's “Early Start” anchor Zoriada Sambolin. 
 
 Nungesser said Isaac has pushed more water into some areas than Katrina did seven years ago. He said the Woodlawn area had no water in it from Katrina and has five feet of water in it now. 
 
 [Updated 5:34 a.m. ET] In its 5 a.m. ET advisory, the National Hurricane Center says Isaac is still a Category 1 hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. 
 
 [Updated 5:26 a.m. ET] Billy Nungesser, Plaquemines Parish president, told CNN what happens when a levee is overtopped: 
 
 "As that water flows over the top, it eventually will eat out portions of that levee, which then it washes away. 
 
 "Either that or the inside of the levee will fill up. 
 
 "One or the other will happen. Either way that area’s going to be totally inundated with water." 
 
 [Updated 5:19 a.m. ET] Billy Nungesser, Plaquemines Parish president, spoke to CNN about the overtopping of a levee in the parish: 
 
 “We knew we were going to have trouble with the projected storm surge, but we were hoping this storm wasn’t going to sit out there as long as it has done, backtracked, and keep pumping this water up against the levees. And there’s only just so much that it can take." 
 
 [Updated 5:12 a.m. ET] Officials are reporting "overtopping of a levee on the east bank" from Braithwaite to White Ditch in Louisiana's Plaquemines Parish, which will "result in significant deep flooding in the area," the National Weather Service said. 
 
 [Updated 5:05 a.m. ET] The National Weather Service warned early Wednesday that heavy rainfall across metropolitan New Orleans and nearby coastal communities will likely result in flash floods. 
 
 [Updated 4:05 a.m. ET] The storm has resumed moving, slowly, toward the west-northwest at 8 mph, the National Hurricane Center says, after being stalled for part of the morning. 
 
 [Updated 3:15 a.m. ET] Hurricane Isaac is stationary near the coast of southeast Louisiana, the National Weather Service says. It's expected to resume a slow northwestern movement later today. 
 
 @donnabrazile: Please RT: Everyone practice good #FireSafety when using candles during #Isaac in order to avoid fires. #NOLAReady — 
 
 NOLA Ready (@nolaready) August 29, 2012 
 
 [Updated 2:03 a.m. ET] "The center (of the storm) has wobbled westward and has moved back over water," the National Hurricane Center wrote in a late-night "forecast discussion." "A northwestward motion has recently resumed and a second landfall should occur later tonight near Grand Isle (Louisiana). ... Little change in strength is expected during the next 12 hours or so as the center moves across the bayous of southeastern Louisiana. Steady weakening should commence later Wednesday as the center moves farther inland." 
 
 [Updated 1:55 a.m. ET] 
 
 12:30am update w/all reported road closures, downed trees, flooding & other infrastructure issues at ready.nola.gov #Isaac #NOLAReady — 
 
 NOLA Ready (@nolaready) August 29, 2012 
 
 [Updated 1:52 a.m. ET] More than 256,000 Entergy Louisiana customers were without power at last count. 
 
 [Updated 1:44 a.m. ET] Cameron County, Texas, officials closed the Padre Island and Boca Chica beaches Tuesday evening because of dangerous tides and currents, CNN affiliate WBRZ reported. Three shelters - one in Dallas, two near the Louisiana line - were opened in Texas for storm-driven evacuees, the station reported. 
 
 [Updated 1:25 a.m. ET] As of 1 a.m. ET, Hurricane Isaac was 60 miles southeast of Houma, Louisiana, and 70 miles south of New Orleans, still maintaining 80 mph winds and dumping large amounts of rain on Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama, the National Hurricane Center said. Dangerous storm surge conditions were observed all along the northern Gulf Coast. 
 
 "The combination of a storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters," the NHC advisory said. Surge levels could reach 6 to 12 feet in Mississippi and southeastern Louisiana; 3 to 6 feet in Alabama and south-central Louisiana; 2 to 4 feet along the Florida Panhandle and Apalachee Bay; and 1 to 3 feet along the rest of Florida's west coast, the center predicted. 
 
 A surge of 11 feet already had been recorded at Shell Beach, Louisiana, it said. 
 
 Isaac is expected to produce total rainfall amounts of 7 to 14 inches, with up to 20 inches possible in spots, leading to "possibly significant lowland flooding," the NHC said. 
 
 Isolated tornadoes are possible along the central Gulf Coast region and parts of the lower Mississippi Valley through Wednesday, it said. 
 
 People also should beware of rough surf and dangerous rip tides all along the coast for the next couple of days, the NHC warned. 
 
 [Updated 1:17 a.m. ET] The season-opening college football game Thursday between Louisiana Tech and Texas A&M has been postponed because of the hurricane, CNN affiliate KTVE reported. The game will be played in Ruston, Louisiana, on October 13, which was an open date for both teams, Louisiana Tech officials said. 
 
 [Updated 12:49 a.m. ET] According to CNN affiliate WGNO, the following locations are under flood warnings because of storm surge and/or heavy rain: St. Tammany, Tangipahoa and Washington in Louisiana; Pearl River and Hancock in Mississippi. 
 
 
 
 [Updated 12:34 a.m. ET] Rain fell with a vengeance along the Gulf Coast as Hurricane Isaac slowly skidded along the Louisiana coast like a Roomba bumping into a wall. 
 
 TUESDAY LIVE BLOG ||||| NEW ORLEANS – Hurricane Isaac pounded Louisiana with heavy rains and damaging winds Wednesday as forecasters said the storm surge and serious flooding will likely continue through the night. 
 
 Isaac was still maintaining Category 1 hurricane strength, but just barely, with sustained winds of 75 mph, the National Hurricane Center reported. It was located directly over Houma, La., which is about 45 miles southwest of New Orleans. 
 
 The storm was crawling to the northwest at just 6 mph. It is expected to weaken to a tropical storm later Wednesday. 
 
 Widespread flooding was reported in New Orleans and other coastal cities. 
 
 One of the worst hit areas was Plaquemines Parish, about 50 miles southeast of New Orleans, where water spilled over a levee. Isaac passed directly over the region of marshland, fishing towns and marinas, peeling off roofs and flooding some areas. 
 
 The northern part of the parish is ringed in by the area's hurricane protection system of fortified levees and floodwalls. But stretches of it on the east bank of the Mississippi River and further south lie outside the protection system, making it vulnerable to storm surge and flooding, Parish Councilman Kirk Lepine said. 
 
 Isaac came up the western edge of the parish, lashing at the area with powerful winds and storm surge, Lepine said. 
 
 "It came in at the worse scenario we can imagine," he said. "There's nowhere for that water to go than here." 
 
 Rescue efforts were focused Wednesday in the small enclave of Braithwaite, on the east bank of the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish. Sheriff Deputies there were conducting rescue missions of residents trapped in homes, as flooding from Isaac overtook the area, said Trooper Melissa Matey, a Louisiana State Police spokeswoman. 
 
 Braithwaite was under a mandatory evacuation order prior to Isaac but some residents chose to stay, she said. 
 
 Early Wednesday, state police troopers were escorting National Guard troops with high-water vehicles down to that area to help in rescue efforts, state police spokesman Capt. Doug Cain said. Many of the roads in the area had become impassable. 
 
 Flanked by marshes and water, low-lying Plaquemines Parish has been repeatedly hit by disasters - from Katrina to Gustav to the 2010 BP oil spill, Cain said. Isaac late Tuesday passed directly over the area, pummeling the parish with powerful winds and a strong storm surge. 
 
 "The geography of it makes it vulnerable," Cain said. "But talk about a resilient people. They've been through this before, and they're going to make it through this one." 
 
 Isaac also forced the closures of major roadways throughout the area, including US 90 at the Jefferson Parish/St. Charles Parish line, the causeway over Lake Pontchartrain and LA-73 south of Plaquemines, he said. 
 
 Besides dealing with downed trees across roadways from New Orleans to Baton Rouge, state police also encountered residents who may have underestimated the storm, he said. Troopers kept busy throughout the night with highway accidents, broken down cars and several DWI arrests. 
 
 "People aren't adhering to the warnings," Cain said. "Today, we're really encouraging people to shelter in place." 
 
 The Federal Amergency Management Agency has staged supplies throughout the south in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas and South Carolina. At Mississippi's Camp Shelby, FEMA has 54 generators and 256,000 ready-to-eat meals. At Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama, FEMA has 1.2 million meals, 2,134 cots and 3,800 tarps. 
 
 Volunteer organizations such as the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army can provide 65,000 hot meals a day in Louisiana, FEMA said in its daily briefing report. 
 
 So far the 350 miles of levees and floodwalls surrounding and meandering through New Orleans were holding back storm surge water as designed early Wednesday, city spokesman Hayne Rainey said. The city had not received any reports of levee breaches or calls for rescues, he said. 
 
 Early reports from Isaac's effects were far different from the events that unfolded around Hurricane Katrina— which slammed the region seven years to the day and led to levee breaches and mass flooding of the city. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers rebuilt the levee and floodwall system in the New Orleans area to be much stronger at a cost of $14.45 billion. 
 
 "All reports are indicating the federal levees protecting the city of New Orleans are holding," he said. 
 
 The storm landed at 3:15 a.m. ET just west of Port Fourchon, about 60 miles south-southwest of New Orleans, said the National Hurricane Center. 
 
 Isaac, upgraded from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane midday Tuesday, first touched land in Plaquemines Parish, about 90 miles southeast of New Orleans on Tuesday evening before heading back over the Gulf of Mexico. 
 
 Because it is moving so slowly, the storm system could dump up to 20 inches of rain in some areas. The hurricane center said Mississippi and southeastern Louisiana could see peak surges of 12 feet. 
 
 In New Orleans, streets were flooding and up to 75% of residents were without power, Mayor Mitch Landrieu said. 
 
 "One of the great challenges with this storm … is that it's going so slowly … which means that it's going to hover over us," he told the Weather Channel on Wednesday morning. "The longer the rain and the greater the wind … (that) continues to concern us. That wind is really, really heavy, which is why it's important you stay inside." 
 
 "We're asking people to be patient," he said. 
 
 New Orleans, devastated by Katrina seven years ago to the day, was reporting 60-mph winds and drenching rains. Landrieu said about 1,000 National Guard troops are positioned in the city, working with police, firefighters and standing by for rescue operations. 
 
 More than 470,000 homes and businesses have lost power, including 156,000 in New Orleans and 162,000 in the New Orleans suburbs, Entergy reported. 
 
 The company, which serves most of southern Louisiana, said its crews would begin restoring power as soon as sustained wind speeds fall below 30 mph. 
 
 "We expect outages to last several days," the company said on its storm center website. "Severe weather conditions are expected across Louisiana and Mississippi through early Thursday morning." 
 
 Officials in coastal Alabama were heading out Wednesday morning to assess damage from the storm. 
 
 "Right now, we are compiling our assessment teams," said Paula Tillman, spokeswoman for the Baldwin County Emergency Management Agency. "As soon as it gets good and daylight, we'll be sending them out." 
 
 Some roads along the coast were closed because of flooding. "Those are down in those lower areas near Fort Morgan, right in the beach area," Tillman said. "Those roads are pretty typical for flooding." 
 
 At 6:30 a.m. central time, there had been no reports of injuries or deaths from the storm in Alabama. In Baldwin County, which includes the resort communities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, 243 people were in two county evacuation shelters. 
 
 In Mobile, there was virtually no evidence of storm impact. 
 
 Officials were warning residents that flooding from storm surges and heavy rainfall expected with the storm could still pose a threat. 
 
 Southern Mississippi still has a long way to go before Hurricane Isaac moves past, but emergency management officials along the coast say they got through the night relatively unharmed. 
 
 No injuries or deaths were reported overnight in the coastal counties of Hancock or Harrison, which were two of the hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina seven years ago. 
 
 The biggest worry overnight from Hurricane Isaac? 
 
 "We're in the process of picking two people up who got stranded by the water and they're scared," Hancock County Emergency Management Director Brian Adam said Wednesday morning. 
 
 With sustained winds throughout the region topping out at about 40 mph, the main concern remains flooding from a constantly-driving storm surge and what is expected to be prolonged rainfall for several days. 
 
 In Harrison County, the rising waters knocked a boat off its moorings. County Emergency Management Director Rupert Lacy said the boat slammed into Popps Ferry Bridge, forcing officials to shut it down until crews can inspect the integrity of the bridge. The bridge is one of two connecting Biloxi from the mainland, but Lacy said it could be a long time before an inspection can be done. 
 
 "We cautioned our public safety employees…that you don't need to be out there if the winds are too high," Lacy said. 
 
 Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant took a tour of coastal Mississippi early Wednesday and said the flooding was extensive. He told WLOX-TV that he had spoken with President Obama and requested an expedited major disaster declaration to begin the next phase of the storm response. 
 
 "We are transitioning into … our recovery portion," Bryant told the TV station. 
 
 As Isaac's outer bands began bending trees and lashing rain across the city, those who chose to stay battened down homes, picked up supplies and sneaked in last-minute trips to local bars. Most stores throughout New Orleans started to close shortly after noon on Tuesday, and residents parked cars on grassy areas in the middle of streets, known as "neutral grounds," to keep them out of flooded streets. 
 
 Jim Rehkoph evacuated when Katrina hit, and the floods that followed the storm destroyed his home and most of his belongings. After moving to another house, built 12 feet above ground in the same Lakeview neighborhood — he's staying put. But bracing for a hurricane every few years is tiring. "I should sell my house and move," he said. "But where am I going to go at 60 years old?" 
 
 In other low-lying neighborhoods near rising Lake Pontchartrain, many homes were empty by Tuesday afternoon. Some residents who remained showed little fear of the approaching hurricane. 
 
 Dean Marshall, 49, stepped into Seminole Grocery for cigarettes and beer, then returned to his apartment. Marshall said he has endured many storms and is confident flood protections installed since Katrina devastated the city would hold back the water this time. "I'm not worried at all," he said. "We're going to ride it out." 
 
 Scores of fliers weren't coming in, or leaving. Flights to and from New Orleans were canceled Tuesday, and United and Southwest said operations would be halted until Thursday. United has 30 daily New Orleans round trips, and Southwest has 84. Flights at other airports along the northern Gulf Coast also are feeling Issac's pinch. Already, more than 1,300 cancellations have been reported in Florida. That number could approach 2,000 once the New Orleans and northern Gulf Coast disruptions are factored in. Most airlines have waived fees for rebooking flights canceled because of Isaac. 
 
 During a visit to Gulfport, Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate said he worried that coastal residents were not fully appreciating the damage Isaac could do. Fugate, who headed Florida's emergency management division when the state was hit by four major hurricanes in 2004, said Isaac's slow approach could bring flood-producing rains for days and prolonged periods of tornadoes. 
 
 Search-and-rescue teams — including 48 boat teams deployed to areas prone to flooding and in direct path of the storm — have been mobilized, and Louisiana officials have asked teams from Texas and six other states to be on standby. Power crews, linemen and tree-trimmers are ready to restore power as quickly as possible if there are outages. Damage assessments, including aerial surveillance, could begin as early as Friday, Jindal said. 
 
 Louisiana has mobilized 40 "pods" in the southern part of the state and 20 in northern Louisiana — each designed to feed 5,000 people, Jindal said. 
 
 Across the region, schools and government offices have closed, hospitals and nursing homes have been evacuated and entire towns have been told to leave for higher ground. Tulane Medical Center in New Orleans closed outpatient services and rescheduled elective surgeries. Spokeswoman Susan Kaufmann said after evacuating patients following Katrina and closing for several months for storm repairs, "we're highly prepared and ready to go," Kaufmann said. 
 
 The Interim Louisiana State University Public Hospital in New Orleans, which normally houses about 170 patients on-site and 29 psychiatric patients at another facility, began preparing in earnest once it was clear Isaac was going to enter the Gulf of Mexico. On Tuesday morning, 500 staffers and doctors showed up, preparing for a three-day stay. Patients who were able to be discharged were sent home and off-site psychiatric patients were sent to a state facility in Pineville, La. Procedures not considered emergencies, such as elective surgeries, were canceled until Friday. The hospital is ready, partly because of lessons learned from Katrina, CEO Roxane Townsend said. "We've been hardened to be able to withstand up to a Category 4 hurricane." 
 
 Many Louisiana residents of the low-lying coast left boarded-up homes for inland shelter while some in New Orleans were torn between fleeing the metro area and trusting in a system that failed famously under Katrina. 
 
 "I find it eerie and ironic that it's landing on the exact day," said Timolynn Sams, a New Orleans community activist who chose to ride out the storm at a friend's house across the river in Jefferson Parish. "It's also a reminder. Katrina will always be a part of us. It's etched in our history, as memorable as Mardi Gras." 
 
 Officials were concerned that residents would get complacent and decide not to evacuate or take precautions. President Obama urged Louisiana residents to follow officials' instructions regarding the approach of Isaac. 
 
 "Now is not the time to tempt fate, now is not the time to dismiss official warnings," Obama said. "You need to take this seriously." 
 
 Obama issued an emergency declaration for areas of Mississippi under threat of rain and high winds. The declaration frees up federal resources to help state and local agencies dealing with the storm and its aftermath and makes federal support available to save lives, protect public health and safety and preserve property in coastal areas. 
 
 Nancy Isaacson, 59, of Waveland, Miss., lost everything except for a pair of blue lamps when Katrina decimated Waveland along with much of the Mississippi Gulf Coast. She's staying across the railroad tracks from her house at a friend's place in a northern part of Waveland. 
 
 "It's kind of scary leaving the house, but it'll be OK," Isaacson said. "It'll survive. This hurricane is upsetting, but not devastating." 
 
 Isaacson is no stranger to survival. Four years after Katrina, her older son, Kevin, was killed in a motorcycle accident. Nineteen days later, her husband left her. One year, one month and one day after that, her younger son, Chris, was killed. "I've had my share of tragedy," she said. 
 
 Tony Mattina understands the power of a hurricane. When Katrina tore through Biloxi, Miss., his parents, grandparents and sister lost their homes. As he glanced at still-empty lots across the street from his home, Mattina said so many others endured similar experiences that there is no worry of hurricane complacency. 
 
 "Every day that goes by, there's always a reference to Katrina," said Messina, 49, as he boarded up his house. "There are still people living in temporary housing. There is still so much missing from Katrina. So I think we've done everything we can to prepare." 
 
 Isaac left 24 dead in Haiti and the Dominican Republic but left little damage in the Florida Keys as it blew past. It promised a soaking but little more for Tampa, where the planned start of the Republican National Convention on Monday was pushed back because of the storm. 
 
 Isaac is the fourth hurricane of the 2012 Atlantic hurricane season, following Chris, Ernesto and Gordon. A typical season sees six hurricanes. Preseason forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration called for four to eight hurricanes, while Colorado State University forecasters called for five hurricanes. 
 
 None of the other three hurricanes hit the USA, although Ernesto did make landfall in Mexico on Aug. 7.
– Today is the 7th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and for residents of Plaquemines Parish, it's deja vu all over again, according to the parish president. Billy Nungesser tells NPR that the parish, located some 95 miles from New Orleans, has already seen damage that rivals, and could even surpass, that heaped upon it by Katrina. With the levee overrun, Nungesser says parts of the parish that had escaped unscathed in previous hurricanes now sit under five feet of water. "I don't know who's calling this a Category 1, but this is no Category 1," Nungesser said. "My house has more damage than it did during Katrina." More on the situation in Plaquemines, and beyond: The parish's levees range from 8.5 feet to 12 feet in height. The Army Corps of Engineers estimates the storm surge hit 12.5 feet, but have yet to confirm a breach. This implies the levees, which are not part of the federal levee system, failed, reports the Times-Picayune. While the director of Plaquemines Parish's emergency preparedness says winds may have hit 110mph, CNN reports that Isaac has weakened a bit since, with maximum sustained winds of 75mph (the hurricane threshold is 74mph). As of about 10:30am ET, Isaac's center was located about 50 miles south-southwest of New Orleans. The AP reports that 500,000 are without power in the areas around New Orleans. In Southern Mississippi, a tornado warning has been issued.