The Vanilla Blues News: August 2012

Published on Aug 27, 2012 by Lad Dev

Tropical Storm Isaac barely stirred Florida Keys residents from their fabled nonchalance Sunday, while the Gulf Coast braced for the possibility that the sprawling storm will strengthen into a dangerous hurricane by the time it makes landfall there.

It was on course to strike land on the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, a powerful storm that crippled New Orleans and the Gulf Coast and became a symbol of government ineptitude. Forecasters expected Isaac to pass the Keys late Sunday before turning northwest and striking Wednesday as a Category 2 hurricane somewhere between New Orleans and the Florida Panhandle.

The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning for a large swath of the northern Gulf Coast from east of Morgan City, La. - which includes the New Orleans area - to Destin, Fla. A Category 2 hurricane has sustained winds of between 96 and 110 mph.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal called a state of emergency, and officials in St. Charles Parish near New Orleans told its 53,000 residents to leave ahead of the storm. Jindal also said he may skip a speaking engagement later this week at the Republican National Convention in Tampa unless the threat to his state subsides. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley also has canceled his trip to the convention.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said at a news conference Sunday evening that only minor damage was reported from Isaac.

An emergency declaration also was issued in Mississippi by Gov. Phil Bryant amid concerns of storm surge threatening low-lying areas. Oil companies began evacuating workers from offshore oil rigs and cutting production in advance of Isaac.

More than 550 flights canceled at Miami International Airport, as well as about 150 from Fort Lauderdale's airport.

http://www.leadertelegram.com/news/daily_updates/article_f1acc291-78c4-556e-8...

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

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