"NEW ORLEANS — Isaac's whistling winds lashed this city and the storm dumped nearly a foot of rain on its desolate streets, but the system of levee pumps, walls and gates appeared to withstand one of the stiffest challenges yet. To the north and south, though, people had to be evacuated or rescued as Isaac lingered over Louisiana."
"The rain fell almost constantly for more than a day, flooding neighborhoods in a rural part of the state and in neighboring Mississippi. Officials had to respond quickly because the waters were rising fast – even as Isaac meandered slowly northward Thursday on a path toward Arkansas.
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.
Along the shores of Lake Ponchartrain, officials sent scores of buses and dozens of high-water vehicles to help evacuate about 3,000 people as rising waters lapped against houses and left cars stranded. Floodwaters rose waist-high in some neighborhoods, and the Louisiana National Guard was working with sheriff's deputies to rescue people stranded in their homes."
Cain Burdeau and Michael Kunzelman report for the Associated Press August 30, 2012.
SEE ALSO:
"Isaac Wreaks Havoc In BR, Poses Flood Threat To Region" (Baton Rouge Advocate)
New Orleans Times-Picayune Hurricane Portal
"U.S. Gulf Power Outages From Hurricane Isaac Rise" (Reuters)
"Isaac Moves North After Drenching U.S. Gulf, New Orleans" (Reuters)
"Early Isaac Losses Muted Compared With Other Storms" (Reuters)
"Isaac Shuts U.S. Grain Exports From Gulf Coast" (Reuters)
"Hurricane Isaac Delivers a Slow Blow in Louisiana" (Los Angeles Times)
"Hurricane Isaac: Flooding Outside The Federal Levee System [INFOGRAPHIC]" (Huffington Post)
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