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| Isaac moves inland and prompts warnings for Arkansas and Missouri | Isaac moves inland and prompts warnings for Arkansas and Missouri |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Tropical storm Isaac ploughed inland on Thursday, causing fresh flooding and power outages in Louisiana and Mississippi and prompting emergency evacuations and warnings, even as New Orleans began its post-hurricane clear-up. | Tropical storm Isaac ploughed inland on Thursday, causing fresh flooding and power outages in Louisiana and Mississippi and prompting emergency evacuations and warnings, even as New Orleans began its post-hurricane clear-up. |
| Authorities sent convoys of military Humvees, buses and specialised high-water vehicles around the shores of Lake Ponchartrain, north of New Orleans, to rescue stranded people and evacuate others deemed at risk. | Authorities sent convoys of military Humvees, buses and specialised high-water vehicles around the shores of Lake Ponchartrain, north of New Orleans, to rescue stranded people and evacuate others deemed at risk. |
| They ordered residents to leave low-lying, rural areas along the Tangipahoa river amid concern the 700-acre dam at Percy Quin state park may fail and add to the already swollen river. | They ordered residents to leave low-lying, rural areas along the Tangipahoa river amid concern the 700-acre dam at Percy Quin state park may fail and add to the already swollen river. |
| Flood waters rose waist-high in some areas, trapping people in cars and homes, and three tornadoes were reported overnight in Mississippi and Alabama, prompting warnings to Arkansas and Missouri to brace for Isaac on Friday even though it was now downgraded to a tropical depression. | Flood waters rose waist-high in some areas, trapping people in cars and homes, and three tornadoes were reported overnight in Mississippi and Alabama, prompting warnings to Arkansas and Missouri to brace for Isaac on Friday even though it was now downgraded to a tropical depression. |
| Rains around New Orleans eased enough to allow helicopter operations, including the rescue of a couple and their dogs from a flooded house. | |
| Pets have been a leitmotif of the emergency, with many people ignoring evacuation orders because they had nowhere to bring pets, or wading through waters with nothing but pets in their arms. | Pets have been a leitmotif of the emergency, with many people ignoring evacuation orders because they had nowhere to bring pets, or wading through waters with nothing but pets in their arms. |
| President Barack Obama declared federal emergencies in Louisiana and Mississippi late on Wednesday, freeing federal aid for affected areas. | President Barack Obama declared federal emergencies in Louisiana and Mississippi late on Wednesday, freeing federal aid for affected areas. |
| The nightmare scenario – a devastating hit on New Orleans on the anniversary of hurricane Katrina – failed to materialise. Isaac skirted the city on Wednesday as a category 1 hurricane, dumping more than a feet of water in places and turning streets into wind tunnels, but no serious flooding was reported. | The nightmare scenario – a devastating hit on New Orleans on the anniversary of hurricane Katrina – failed to materialise. Isaac skirted the city on Wednesday as a category 1 hurricane, dumping more than a feet of water in places and turning streets into wind tunnels, but no serious flooding was reported. |
| Officials said the $14.5bn bolstering of the city's flood control system worked as it should, averting a repeat of the 2005 catastrophe when levees failed and 1,800 people died. | Officials said the $14.5bn bolstering of the city's flood control system worked as it should, averting a repeat of the 2005 catastrophe when levees failed and 1,800 people died. |
| There was at least one technical glitch: the US army corps of engineers could not start drainage pumps for the 17th St Canal remotely overnight, causing a delay as they had to be operated manually. | There was at least one technical glitch: the US army corps of engineers could not start drainage pumps for the 17th St Canal remotely overnight, causing a delay as they had to be operated manually. |
| It was not a significant problem as the canal was not full, said Sandy Rosenthal of levees.org, an advocacy group, but could potentially have been a "major disaster" had the storm been more powerful. Overall, she said, he preparation and response was "100 times better" than seven years ago. "We felt much safer." | It was not a significant problem as the canal was not full, said Sandy Rosenthal of levees.org, an advocacy group, but could potentially have been a "major disaster" had the storm been more powerful. Overall, she said, he preparation and response was "100 times better" than seven years ago. "We felt much safer." |
| Even so, the 70mph winds knocked out power to 730,000 homes in Louisiana and Mississippi. Police, state troopers and national guard units enforced a dawn to dusk curfew to deter looters and keep people off streets littered with debris and broken power lines. | Even so, the 70mph winds knocked out power to 730,000 homes in Louisiana and Mississippi. Police, state troopers and national guard units enforced a dawn to dusk curfew to deter looters and keep people off streets littered with debris and broken power lines. |
| "If you loot, you'll wear an orange suit," the mayor, Mitch Landrieu, told a news conference. | "If you loot, you'll wear an orange suit," the mayor, Mitch Landrieu, told a news conference. |
| Sixteen looting-related arrests were reported by Thursday. He tweeted an appeal for caution amid signs of returning normality. "I would ask everyone to work really really hard to be patient & to assist public officials by staying out of their way." Homeowners began to take down boards from windows and some stores opened. | Sixteen looting-related arrests were reported by Thursday. He tweeted an appeal for caution amid signs of returning normality. "I would ask everyone to work really really hard to be patient & to assist public officials by staying out of their way." Homeowners began to take down boards from windows and some stores opened. |
| Just 20 miles south however in Plaquemines parish, a sparsely-populated rural area, there were still dramatic scenes of surging waters and rescues. The town of Braithwaite was drowned, with tops of buildings peeking from the water. Uniformed officials were checking homes for signs of people left behind. About 800 homes in the parish were damaged, said Bobby Jindal, Louisiana's governor. | Just 20 miles south however in Plaquemines parish, a sparsely-populated rural area, there were still dramatic scenes of surging waters and rescues. The town of Braithwaite was drowned, with tops of buildings peeking from the water. Uniformed officials were checking homes for signs of people left behind. About 800 homes in the parish were damaged, said Bobby Jindal, Louisiana's governor. |
| Officials considered intentionally breaching a levee this weekend to let some floodwater flow back out of the inundated area, he added. | Officials considered intentionally breaching a levee this weekend to let some floodwater flow back out of the inundated area, he added. |
| Major flooding was also reported in the town of Slidell, north-east of New Orleans. There were two reported casualties in and around New Orleans – a tow-truck driver felled by a tree, and another man who fell from a tree. Several highways and airports remained closed on Thursday. | Major flooding was also reported in the town of Slidell, north-east of New Orleans. There were two reported casualties in and around New Orleans – a tow-truck driver felled by a tree, and another man who fell from a tree. Several highways and airports remained closed on Thursday. |