Hurricane Isaac Makes Landfall; New Orleans Braced

(Newsroom America) -- Hurricane Isaac made landfall Tuesday evening over New Orleans, with its surge topping a levee which caused some flooding of homes, reports said.

"Isaac will continue to move very slowly near the Louisiana coast Wednesday. Since Isaac is moving at a snail's pace, the hurricane will pound the northern Gulf Coast with storm surge flooding, heavy rainfall, strong winds and possible isolated tornadoes through Wednesday," Weather.com reported Wednesday morning.

Warnings for the Category 1 hurricane have been issued along the northern Gulf Coast from east of Morgan City, La. to the Mississippi/Alabama border, said reports, with hurricane watches posted as far west as Intracoastal City, La.

"A storm surge of 10.9 feet above normal tide levels was reported at Shell Beach, La. southeast of New Orleans, 7.5 feet above normal at Waveland, Miss., and just over 4 feet above normal at Pascagoula, Miss.," said Weather.com.

The storm's surge topped a levee south of New Orleans, on the seventh anniversary of Katrina, causing water to flow over an 18-mile stretch of the levee early Wednesday, leaving some homes flooded.

Other residents reported damage to homes and structures.

The Louisiana National Guard has been called in to begin rescue operations of residents stranded on the east bank of Plaquemines Parish from Braithwaite to Whiteditch, where 12 feet of water has filled that community, according to Plaquemines Parish spokesman Caitlin Campbell.

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