(Newser)
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Today is the 7th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, and for residents of Plaquemines Parish, it's deja vu all over again, according to the parish president. Billy Nungesser tells NPR that the parish, located some 95 miles from New Orleans, has already seen damage that rivals, and could even surpass, that heaped upon it by Katrina. With the levee overrun, Nungesser says parts of the parish that had escaped unscathed in previous hurricanes now sit under five feet of water. "I don't know who's calling this a Category 1, but this is no Category 1," Nungesser said. "My house has more damage than it did during Katrina."
More on the situation in Plaquemines, and beyond:
- The parish's levees range from 8.5 feet to 12 feet in height. The Army Corps of Engineers estimates the storm surge hit 12.5 feet, but have yet to confirm a breach. This implies the levees, which are not part of the federal levee system, failed, reports the Times-Picayune.
- While the director of Plaquemines Parish's emergency preparedness says winds may have hit 110mph, CNN reports that Isaac has weakened a bit since, with maximum sustained winds of 75mph (the hurricane threshold is 74mph).
- As of about 10:30am ET, Isaac's center was located about 50 miles south-southwest of New Orleans.
- The AP reports that 500,000 are without power in the areas around New Orleans. In Southern Mississippi, a tornado warning has been issued.
