NEW ORLEANS, LA - Tropical Storm Isaac is expected to hit landfall as an official hurricane sometime Tuesday. People on the Gulf Coast are bracing for the worst on the eve of the 7-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
The storm began brewing 2500 miles away in the Atlantic and is now on the verge of being categorized as a Hurricane. It strengthened overnight with winds maxing out at 70 mph.
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Evacuation orders have begun in the New Orleans metro area and in other places along the coast.
Traffic is backed up on major highways with people leaving the area. A State of Emergency has been issued by Florida, Mississippi and Alabama Governors and President Obama issued a State if Emergency for Louisiana.
The storm struck the Caribbean earlier this week and killed 24 people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Forecasters expect winds to exceed 85 mph and the storm to be a category 2 hurricane when the eye hits landfall. The storm has already drenched Florida and officials say surges will be 6-12 feet tall and could drop more than 20 feet of rainfall in some area.
