Ads by Google Ads by Google

Isaac aims at Gulf Coast amid political backdrop

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Finally a hurricane, the unwieldy and wobbly Isaac bore down on New Orleans Tuesday, almost seven years to the day that Hurricane Katrina transformed this city and became a symbol of government ineptitude, and a defining moment for leaders from City Hall to the White House.While Isaac was far less powerful than the 2005 storm, it posed some of the same political challenges. President Barack Obama sought to demonstrate his ability to guide the nation through a natural disaster and Republicans reassured residents they were prepared, all the while readying for the coronation of Mitt Romney.In New Orleans, the mood was calm as the first wave of rain bands and wind gusts rolled ashore, and these battle-tested residents took the storm in stride, knowing they've been through a lot worse. Tens of thousands of people, mostly in southeastern Louisiana, were ordered to evacuate ahead of Isaac, which was set to make landfall as early as Tuesday night as a Category 1 hurricane with winds of at least 74 mph - much lower than the 135 mph winds Katrina packed in 2005.About 13,000 had already lost power Tuesday afternoon.Many residents along the Gulf Coast opted to ride it out in shelters or at home and officials, while sounding alarm about the dangers of the powerful storm, decided not to call for mass evacuations. Still, there was a threat of storm surge and the possibility of nearly two feet of rain as it slowly trudges inland.\We don't expect a Katrina-like event