Isaac makes landfall in southeastern Louisiana

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WOLO/ABC NEWS) — After days of strong winds and heavy rains from the Caribbean to the Gulf Coast, Hurricane Isaac made landfall in the far southeastern tip of Louisiana. With winds of 80 miles an hour, Isaac slowly crawled into the state of Louisiana just before 8 p.m., though the effects of Isaac was felt long before its official landfall. Forecasters upgraded Tropical Storm Isaac to a Category 1 hurricane just after noon Tuesday. While landfall has been completed, the biggest threats of excessive and heavy rainfall along with a dangerous storm surge. The landfall is one day short of the seventh anniversary of the landfall of Hurricane Katrina. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said Isaac’s path is similar to Katrina’s and the anniversary has left much of the Gulf Coast on “a high level of anxiety.” However, Federal Emergency Management Agency director Craig Fugate say there has been too much focus on New Orleans’ bracing for Isaac on the anniversary of Katrina. Forecasters say the big threat will be the storm surge around New Orleans and Biloxi, Miss., where water might rise six to nine feet. The hurricane is forecasted to hover over the Gulf Coast and could punish coastal areas with up to 20 inches of rain.