Hurricane Earl makes landfall in Belize, in Central America, the US National Hurricane Center has announced.
Earl now has speeds of up to 80mph, with the eye of the storm now passing just north of Belize City.
Belize’s National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) warned of flash flooding and mudslides in Earl’s wake.
Heavy rains have fallen on Honduras. The storm is forecast to continue through northern Guatemala into Mexico.
Authorities have urged Belize City residents and other coastal communities to move inland and take advantage of higher ground or a network of storm shelters.
Officials ordered the closure of Belize City’s international airport while archaeological reserves and national parks were also shut.
Photo NBC
The storm is expected to lessen when as it moves inland.
In the meantime, NEMO officials say heavy rain could cause flash floods and mudslides, with a storm surge possible along the shore.
They have warned of trees being blown down, power cuts and damage to houses and buildings which will be hit by flying objects and projectiles.
After Earl passes through across Belize, it is expected to go through a northern rural part of Guatemala and from there into south-eastern Mexico.
Guatemala at this time of the year has its rainy season with often fatal flooding and mudslides.
Meanwhile, Mexican authorities say that the southern states of Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco and Yucatan are likely to be affected by Earl and have issued an alert.
The storm knocked over a large numbers of trees and utility poles in Honduras, officials say.
At least nine people died on August 1 in Haiti and the Dominican Republic as the storm passed over the Caribbean.
Hurricane Joaquin has battered parts of the Bahamas with heavy rains and winds after it was reclassified up to the second strongest type of storm.
Sustained winds of up to 130mph were reported in parts of the eastern Bahamas, the US National Hurricane Center said.
The NHC says Hurricane Joaquin could affect the US East Coast by October 4, and said it was now an “extremely dangerous” storm.
Emergency teams said there were no reports of casualties in the Bahamas.
Forecasters in the US and the Bahamas are warning that central islands, many of which are low-lying, could see a storm surge of up to 12ft.
“We do not know the impact of 130mph on those areas,” Bahamas PM Perry Christie said.
Photo AccuWeather
“We know it’s a horrific kind of experience.”
Images on social media showed water reaching close to the roofs of some homes. The Tribune 242 website said dozens of people were trapped in their homes in the southern Bahamas.
After being classified only as a storm on September 30, Joaquin had become a Category Four hurricane – on a scale of five – by October 1.
The NHC said the storm could strengthen again as it nears the central Bahamas, but it is likely to lose strength as it moves north.
States along the eastern US coast – many of whom have suffered heavy rains in recent days – have warned residents to take precautions.
But the NHC, while warning the path of the hurricane could change, said it was “becoming optimistic that the Carolinas and the mid-Atlantic states will avoid the direct effects from Joaquin”.
Meanwhile, the governors of New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and North and South Carolina declared states of emergency. One person was killed by flash floods in Spartanburg, South Carolina and schools in Charleston will be closed on October 2, local media reported.
Cuba has also issued warnings for four eastern provinces.
A White House spokesman said the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was following the progress of Hurricane Joaquin and preparing in case it made landfall in the US.
Hurricane Fred has hit the island nation of Cape Verde, off the coast of West Africa with winds of up to 85mph.
Cape Verde’s government has grounded all flights until further notice.
No hurricane has ever been recorded further east in the tropical Atlantic.
A hurricane warning has been issued by the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC), which predicts coastal flooding due to strong wind and heavy rains from Monday and overnight into Tuesday.
The NHC says the last time a hurricane was recorded hitting Cape Verde was 1892, although it cautions that records were less exact before the advent of weather satellites in the mid-1960s.
Hurricane conditions are occurring in islands in north-eastern Cape Verde, with northern and north-western islands due to be hit if the hurricane holds its current course, it adds.
The NHC has warned of flash flooding and mudslides as the storm moves across the islands.
Hurricane Fred is forecast to gradually weaken from Tuesday onwards, and will not affect other West African countries.
Cape Verde consists of 10 significant volcanic islands, nine of which are inhabited.
Rising waters put most of Atlantic City under water on Monday as the approach of Hurricane Sandy flooded towns up and down the New Jersey shore, knocked out power to thousands and left some people stranded in homes inundated with water.
Emergency officials said they expected conditions to get much worse at evening high tide when they expect the center of the storm to hit.
“The city’s basically flooded,” said Willie Glass, Atlantic City’s public safety director.
“Most of the city is under water.”
The same could be said of much of the southern New Jersey shore. The storm surge went over the seawall in Cape May with high tide early Monday and punched through dunes in other communities. The Garden State Parkway south of Atlantic City was shut down in both directions. Officials reported rescues in Pleasantville.
Hurricane Sandy was just one component of a massive storm coming together over the eastern third of the U.S., bringing damaging wind and flooding and fears of prolonged power outages.
Rising waters put most of Atlantic City under water on Monday as the approach of Hurricane Sandy flooded towns up and down the New Jersey shore
By 11:00 a.m. on Monday, the National Hurricane Center indicated that Sandy had strengthened with top sustained winds of 90 mph. The center was expected to make landfall in southern New Jersey late Monday night.
“It’s going to be a slog through the history books but we’re doing OK so far,” Willie Glass said.
Atlantic City and its casinos were ordered evacuated on Sunday. The city’s historic boardwalk remained intact despite the rising floodwaters, though an old section at the north end broke up and washed away.
State Emergency Management spokeswoman Mary Goepfert said about 115,000 residents were ordered to evacuate the state’s barrier islands, and local officials ordered many more in their towns. It was not known how many heeded the warning. She said more than 2,200 people were in shelters statewide.
About 35,000 homes and businesses across the state were without power by midday Monday as officials braced for a storm surge that was expected to cause record-breaking flooding.
President Barack Obama has warned Americans to take Hurricane Sandy seriously as authorities started shutting down the eastern seaboard ahead of its arrival.
Several states have declared emergencies, with tens of millions of people affected as schools are closed and transport services suspended.
Experts fear Hurricane Sandy may become a super-storm when it makes landfall later.
Some election rallies have been called off, with Barack Obama warning affected citizens to take precautions.
International travel has been badly affected. Air France, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic grounded Monday’s transatlantic flights to and from East Coast cities, including New York, Baltimore, Newark, Washington, Boston and Philadelphia.
At 02:00 EDT, the storm was turning north, its eye swirling about 425 miles (760 km) south-east of New York City, according to the National Hurricane Center.
With winds of 75 mph, Hurricane Sandy, dubbed “Frankenstorm”or “Superstorm”, is expected to bring a “life-threatening” surge flood to the mid-Atlantic coast, including Long Island Sound and New York Harbour.
The winds are expected to strengthen when Hurricane Sandy makes landfall anywhere between Virginia and southern New England on Monday.
The prospect of merging with a wintry storm coming from the west during a full moon has many fearing dangerous high tides.
Sandy is some 520 miles (835 km) across. It is also very slow, moving north-east at just 15 mph, and could linger over as many as 12 states for 24-36 hours, bringing up to 25 cm of rain, 60 cm of snow, extreme storm surges and power cuts.
States of emergency have been declared in Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC and parts of North Carolina.
The two presidential election contenders have modified their campaign engagements, with Mitt Romney pulling out of an event in Virginia and Barack Obama cancelling rallies in Virginia and Colorado.
The president has pulled out of a Monday event in Ohio – considered a key swing state – in order to return to Washington to monitor the storm – although he is still set to attend a rally with former President Bill Clinton in Florida earlier on Monday.
Visiting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in Washington on Sunday, Barack Obama vowed his government would “respond big and respond fast” after Hurricane Sandy had passed.
Con Edison workers prepare for Hurricane Sandy using sandbags to cover up power vaults in New York
Amtrak has started suspending passenger train services across the north-eastern US and air travel has been badly hit, with some 6,800 flights cancelled.
New York City’s subway, bus and train services were suspended from 19:00 on Sunday, and schools will be shut on Monday.
With predicted storm surges of up to 11 ft, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg ordered 375,000 people in the city’s vulnerable low-lying areas to leave their homes.
Evacuation shelters have been set up at 76 public schools.
“If you don’t evacuate you’re not just putting your own life in danger, you are also endangering lives of our first responders who would have to rescue you,” he said.
The Statue of Liberty was reopened on Sunday after a year of renovation, but only a group of army cadets got a tour before it was shut again until at least Wednesday.
Some 200 National Guardsmen will patrol Manhattan and 300 more will be deployed in Long Island.
The New York Stock Exchange will be fully closed on Monday, its operator said, and possibly on Tuesday as well.
It had earlier said electronic transactions would be possible but on Sunday announced it was closing fully because “the dangerous conditions developing as a result of Hurricane Sandy will make it extremely difficult to ensure the safety of our people and communities”.
Similar precautions were taken last year as Hurricane Irene approached the East Coast. It killed more than 40 people from North Carolina to Maine and caused an estimated $10 billion worth of damage.
FEMA has warned that the threat extends well inland, and has issued safety tips on how to cope with the hurricane.
Blustery winds were already being felt in New York on Sunday night and the anxiety felt on the streets indicated that residents were taking city orders seriously and with haste.
In New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie confirmed a swathe of mandatory evacuations, told civil servants to stay at home on Monday and said the casinos in Atlantic City had closed.
“The weather will turn ugly [on Monday] and we want everyone off the roads,” he said.
“Don’t be stupid. Get out. Don’t try to be a hero and act as if nothing is going on here.”
New Jersey authorities expect very significant flooding, with three increasingly high tides on Monday, possibly creating surges of 13-14 ft – the worst since 1903, authorities said.
Hurricane Sandy has already killed 60 people in the Caribbean during the past week.
TRAVEL CHAOS IN NEW YORK
• New York City’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced service on subways will be curtailed beginning at 7:00 p.m.
• The bus network will cease to operate at 9:00 p.m.
• Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad will start their finals trains by 7:00 p.m. from terminal locations
• Stations will close once the last trains pass through
• New Jersey has suspended all services from 4 p.m. Sunday until 2 a.m. Monday
New York City’s public transport system will be suspended tonight ahead of the arrival on Monday of Hurricane Sandy.
Governor Andrew Cuomo said the subway, bus and train services would shut down from 19:00 on Sunday.
As many as 375,000 people have been ordered to evacuate low-lying areas, and schools will be shut.
Sandy’s winds are set to intensify as it merges with a wintry storm from the western US. A number of states on the East Coast have declared an emergency.
Up to 60 million people could be affected by the storm, which is set to hit several states key to the 6 November presidential election
Barack Obama and Mitt Romney have modified their campaign engagements. President Barack Obama described the storm as “big, serious and slow-moving” – and said it would pose additional problems.
“It is important for us to respond big and to respond fast,” he said after a meeting at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Asked whether the storm would affect the vote, Barack Obama said: “We don’t anticipate that at this point but we’re obviously going to have to take a look.”
Republican candidate Mitt Romney has cancelled an event scheduled for Sunday in Virginia, a key election state, because of the weather, and was instead heading to Ohio.
Hurricane Sandy has already killed 60 people in the Caribbean during the past week.
At 11:00 EDT, the eye of Hurricane Sandy was about 250 miles (400 km) South of Cape Hatteras in North Carolina, and 575 miles south of New York City, according to the National Hurricane Center.
With winds of 75 mph, it was expected to bring a “life-threatening” surge flooding to the Mid-Atlantic coast, including Long Island Sound and New York Harbour.
The centre said winds were expected to be near hurricane force at landfall.
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said people needed to start taking action immediately.
New York City’s public transport system will be suspended tonight ahead of the arrival on Monday of Hurricane Sandy
Michael Bloomberg said the worst of the storm would hit New York on Monday, but warned that a storm surge expected later on Sunday could do “plenty of damage”.
“I don’t want anybody to go to bed tonight thinking that they can spend the day worrying about the night after,” he said.
The mayor said 375,000 people living in low-lying areas should leave on Sunday.
In his warning, Governor Cuomo said he did not want to overreact, but to be “prudent”. He urged people not in low-lying areas to stay at home.
Flights were expected to be affected – Air France says it will cancel all flights into New York and Washington DC on Monday.
However, the New York Stock Exchange announced it would open as usual on Monday.
“We continue to monitor the situation and to communicate with government officials, regulators, and markets participants,” NYSE spokesman Rich Adamonis told Reuters news agency.
Similar precautions were taken last year as Hurricane Irene approached the East Coast. It killed more than 40 people from North Carolina to Maine and caused an estimated $10 billion worth of damage.
FEMA director Craig Fugate said: “This is not a coastal threat alone. This is a very large area.”
Its safety tips include preparations for and what to do during and after a hurricane.
While the East Coast is used to extreme weather, Sandy is causing concern to meteorologists who fear it could mutate into a “Frankenstorm” as it merges with a winter storm in the run-up to Halloween.
It is only moving north-east at 14mph, and could hit as many as 12 states, bringing up to 25 cm of rain, 60 cm of snow, extreme storm surges and power cuts.
States of emergency have been declared in Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC and a coastal county in North Carolina.
The NHC said further strengthening was possible on Sunday, before Sandy touched down anywhere between Virginia and southern New England late on Monday.
In New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie pleaded with residents not to be complacent.
“I know everyone’s saying this isn’t going to happen… that the weathermen always get it wrong,” he said.
He urged people to stock up on essentials in case they were trapped at home for a few days.
“We have to be prepared for the worst here. I can be as cynical as any of you but when the storm comes, if it’s as bad as they’re predicting it will be, you’re gonna wish you weren’t as cynical as you might otherwise have been.”
Delaware has ordered a mandatory evacuation of 50,000 people from coastal areas.
Earlier in the week, Hurricane Sandy caused havoc as it ploughed across the Caribbean, killing at least 44 people in Haiti, 11 in Cuba and four more in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the Bahamas.
Hurricane Sandy is swirling towards the US East Coast, forcing presidential candidates to adjust schedules and cancel events.
President Barack Obama has held a conference call with emergency chiefs to discuss preparations for the storm, which could hit as early as Monday.
Its sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h) are set to intensify as it merges with a wintry storm from the western US.
A number of states key to the election could be hit by a storm that may affect up to 60 million Americans.
At 20:00 EDT, the eye of the storm was about 330 miles south of Cape Hatteras in North Carolina, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Craig Fugate, director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said: “This is not a coastal threat alone. This is a very large area.”
Hurricane Sandy has already killed 60 people in the Caribbean as it swirled north during the past week.
Republican candidate Mitt Romney cancelled an event scheduled for Sunday in Virginia, a key election state, because of the weather, and was instead heading to Ohio.
Barack Obama will head to Florida on Sunday rather than Monday, and has cancelled a campaign stop with former President Bill Clinton in Virginia on Monday and a rally in Colorado on Tuesday to monitor the storm from the White House, said White House spokesman Jay Carney.
Vice-President Joe Biden also cancelled a rally in coastal Virginia to allow for disaster preparations.
Early balloting in Maryland saw lines of voters stretching for a number of blocks at some polling stations on Saturday.
But despite concerns about Hurricane Sandy’s impact, with some polls suggesting the contest is a virtual dead heat, both Mitt Romney and Barack Obama pressed ahead with campaigning in key swing states on Saturday.
Nine states are thought to be too close to call.
In New Hampshire, Barack Obama urged his supporters to encourage people to vote early and allow him to finish the job he started.
“We’ve still got a lot of work to do, but New Hampshire and the country has come too far to go back to the policies that got us into this mess,” he said.
“All he’s offering is a big rerun of the same policies,” Barack Obama said of his opponent.
In Florida, Mitt Romney said he stood for “big ideas” that would get America going again, compared to what he called Barack Obama’s “shrinking agenda”.
“The president doesn’t have a plan, he’s out of ideas, he’s out of excuses and this November, Florida is going to make sure we put him out of office,” Mitt Romney said to cheers from the conservative crowd in Pensacola.
New Jersey people board up their homes in preparation for Hurricane Sandy
How Barack Obama handles the weather emergency and how far Mitt Romney tries to make political capital out of it could enhance or harm their chances.
While the East Coast is used to extreme weather, Hurricane Sandy is concerning meteorologists who fear it could mutate into a “Frankenstorm” as it merges with a winter storm in the run-up to Halloween.
It is only moving north-east at 13 mph, meaning it could hover for 36 hours over as many as 12 states, bringing up to 10 in (25 cm) of rain, 2 ft of snow, extreme storm surges and power cuts.
States of emergency have been declared in Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC and a coastal county in North Carolina.
Tropical storm warnings are in effect in both South and North Carolina, as well as Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds.
The NHC said further strengthening was possible on Sunday, before Sandy touched down anywhere between Virginia and southern New England late on Monday.
In New Jersey, Governor Chris Christie pleaded with residents not to be complacent.
“I know everyone’s saying this isn’t going to happen… that the weathermen always get it wrong,” he said.
He urged people to stock up on essentials in case they were trapped at home for a few days.
“We have to be prepared for the worst here. I can be as cynical as any of you but when the storm comes, if it’s as bad as they’re predicting it will be, you’re gonna wish you weren’t as cynical as you might otherwise have been.”
Delaware has ordered a mandatory evacuation of 50,000 people from coastal areas.
New York has not yet ordered evacuations.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said: “This is a dangerous storm. But I think we’re going to be OK.”
Earlier in the week, Hurricane Sandy caused havoc as it ploughed across the Caribbean, killing at least 44 people in Haiti, 11 in Cuba and four more in the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the Bahamas.
Hurricane Sandy could merge with a winter storm to create what they have dubbed “Frankenstorm” as it churns towards the US, forecasters warn.
Sandy has weakened to a category one hurricane, but is still packing maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h).
Hurricane Sandy reportedly caused up to 40 deaths as it tore through the Caribbean on Thursday and Friday.
The storm is projected to hit the US late on Monday, a week before the presidential election.
States of emergency have been declared in Maryland, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington and a coastal county in North Carolina.
The US Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia was reportedly sending a whole fleet of ships out to sea to avoid the storm.
At 23:00 EDT, the hurricane was moving north over the Bahamas at about 7 mph, some 400 miles (630 km) south-east of Charleston in South Carolina, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
Hurricane-strength winds were being experienced 70 miles from the centre of the storm, which was expected to slowly weaken during the weekend, reported the NHC.
American meteorologists expect a combination of high winds, heavy rain and extreme tides, as well as snow in some areas.
Up to 10 in (25 cm) of rain, 2ft of snow and extreme storm surges are forecast.
“It’s going to be a long-lasting event, two to three days of impact for a lot of people,” said James Franklin, head forecaster at the NHC.
Hurricane Sandy could merge with a winter storm to create what they have dubbed “Frankenstorm” as it churns towards the US
Hurricane Sandy is expected to strike the US late on Monday or early Tuesday somewhere along the US east coast, a day before Halloween and a week before millions of Americans go to the polls to choose a next president.
It could make landfall anywhere between Virginia, Maryland or Delaware up through New York or southern New England.
In New York City, officials are already considering closing down mass transit before the storm hits.
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney cancelled an event scheduled for Sunday in Virginia, a key election state, because of the weather, said an aide.
Earlier on Friday, the White House declined to speculate on whether Hurricane Sandy would affect President Barack Obama’s campaign plans, saying the storm’s path was still uncertain.
Forecasters say Hurricane Sandy is similar to another late October storm – when several weather systems, including a hurricane, combined along the US Atlantic coast in 1991, leading to what was dubbed “the Perfect Storm”.
Jeff Masters, meteorology director at Weather Underground, estimated there could be more than $1 billion in damages from Hurricane Sandy.
On Thursday, Hurricane Sandy caused a storm surge leading to severe flooding along Cuba’s south-eastern coastline.
Civil emergency authorities said 11 people had died as the storm lashed the island – nine of those in Santiago province and two in Guantanamo province, despite Cuba’s well-rehearsed hurricane preparations. Most victims were killed by falling trees or collapsing buildings.
“The hurricane was very big. I have never seen anything like it in my 54 years,” said Santiago resident Reinaldo Rivas.
Elsewhere, 20 deaths were reported in Haiti – where much of the infrastructure remains in a poor condition following a massive earthquake in 2010.
More than 1,000 people sought refuge in shelters there, as Hurricane Sandy caused widespread power outages, flooded streets and damaged buildings.
Four fatalities were reported across the Dominican Republic, Jamaica and the Bahamas.
Hurricane Sandy has strengthened into a strong category two as it makes landfall in south-east Cuba.
The hurricane was carrying maximum sustained winds of 110 mph (175 km/h) as it hit land just west of Santiago de Cuba, said the US-based National Hurricane Center (NHC).
On Wednesday, one man was killed as Sandy swept over Jamaica.
A hurricane watch is in place in the Bahamas, and Florida has been placed on tropical storm watch.
The NHC said wind gusts of up to 114 mph had been reported in Santiago de Cuba.
It warned the hurricane was bringing heavy rain which could “produce life-threatening flash floods and mudslides, especially in areas of mountainous terrain”.
Hurricane Sandy has strengthened into a strong category two as it makes landfall in south-east Cuba
Local officials in Cuba said about 1,700 people had been evacuated as a precaution.
“We cannot put a single human life in danger. We must evacuate people in areas we know are likely to be flooded, without losing time,” defence official Lazaro Esposito told local media.
In Jamaica, more than 1,000 people sought refuge in shelters, with residents reporting widespread power outages, flooded streets and damages to buildings.
The authorities said one person, an elderly man, died when he was crushed by falling boulders as he tried to reach his home.
A 48-hour curfew has been imposed in all major towns, though some looting has been reported.
The country’s sole energy provider, the Jamaica Public Service Company, said earlier that 70% of its customers were without electricity.
Over 60,000 people have been ordered to evacuate an area in the south-east of Louisiana because a dam has been damaged by Hurricane Isaac.
People live downstream of the Lake Tangipahoa Dam in Mississippi, which has been damaged but is currently intact.
Isaac, now a tropical storm, dumped huge amounts of rain in recent days.
Officials are worried the broken dam, some 100 miles (161 km) north of New Orleans, could add to a swollen river.
Tangipahoa Parish President Gordon Burgess told local broadcaster WWL that Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal had ordered buses to the area to help evacuate residents.
Over 60,000 people have been ordered to evacuate an area in the south-east of Louisiana because a dam has been damaged by Hurricane Isaac
Over 7,000 National Guard troops, the US reserve armed forces, have been called into service across four states, the majority in Louisiana.
Bobby Jindal activated all Louisiana Guardsmen on Wednesday, which would bring total forces in the state to more than 8,000. They have helped rescue or evacuate more than 3,000 people in the state since the storm hit.
In the town of Amite, Louisiana, Police Chief Jerry Trabona said officers were going door-to-door to houses along the Tangipahoa River.
On Twitter, Louisiana officials quoted state Governor Bobby Jindal as saying Mississippi was considering a “controlled breach” of the dam to relieve pressure.
Although no longer a hurricane, Isaac still poses a threat to life because of storm surges, floods and tornadoes, the National Hurricane Center says.
At 13:00 local time, Isaac was 25 km (40 miles) south-west of Monroe, Louisiana, moving at 9 mph (15 km/h), according to the National Hurricane Center.
The storm struck New Orleans on Wednesday, on the seven year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which devastated the region and killed at least 1,800 people in the Gulf Coast area.
Defence systems built to protect the city passed their first major test, according to the US Army Corps of Engineers.
But along the shores of Lake Ponchartrain, just north of the New Orleans, dozens of buses and high-water vehicles were sent to evacuate some 3,000 people as waters rose fast – it was waist-high in some areas, the Associated Press news agency reports.
In one of the hardest-hit areas, Plaquemines, local boatmen plucked people from the roofs of their homes, many of whom had remained believing they could ride out what seemed a far smaller storm than Katrina.
President Barack Obama has declared a state of emergency in Louisiana and Mississippi, allowing federal funds to be released to local authorities.
By Thursday morning, more than one million residents of Louisiana and Mississippi were without power due to Isaac, according to the US department of energy.
Isaac is expected to move further inland over the next several days before breaking up during the weekend.
The storm killed at least 24 people as it passed over Haiti and the Dominican Republic earlier this week.
Tropical Storm Isaac bearing down on the Gulf Coast and New Orleans is now a hurricane, US forecasters say.
Hurricane Isaac boasting winds of at least 75 mph (120 km/h), is likely to make landfall by Tuesday night.
The storm is expected to hit New Orleans seven years after the much stronger Hurricane Katrina.
US President Barack Obama has warned residents in the path of the storm they should not “tempt fate” and should heed evacuation warnings.
In an update at 13:00 CDT the National Hurricane Center said the storm was 135 miles (220 km) south-east of New Orleans, moving north-west at 10 mph (17 km/h).
Barack Obama has declared an emergency in Louisiana, allowing federal funds to be released to local authorities.
“As we prepare for Isaac to hit, I want to encourage all residents of the Gulf Coast to listen to your local officials and follow their directions – including if they tell you to evacuate,” Barack Obama said on Tuesday.
Speaking from the White House, he added: “Now is not the time to tempt fate. Now is not the time to dismiss official warnings. You need to take this seriously.”
Tropical Storm Isaac bearing down on the Gulf Coast and New Orleans is now a hurricane
Shortly after Isaac reached hurricane status, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal called for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to make a full emergency declaration for the state.
He told reporters that a declaration made on Monday did not allow for the reimbursement for state’s expenses from the storm.
“We have learned from past experiences that you cannot wait and you have to push the federal bureaucracy,” Bobby Jindal, who cancelled an appearance at the Republican National Convention because of the storm, said.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said his city was “officially in the fight” on Tuesday, as he confirmed its airport was closed and would not serve as a shelter.
Mitch Landrieu said that a 26 ft (8 m) high levee gate that now protects the areas of the city that were badly flooded in 2005 – which he dubbed “the great wall of New Orleans” – was closed on Tuesday morning.
“We will not have a Katrina-like event,” he said, adding there will still be parts of the city that will likely be flooded.
“Do not let this storm lull you into complacency,” he said.
“People may be getting bored. It’s better to be bored than to get hurt.”
Officials have not ordered any evacuations, telling residents to reinforce their homes and stock up on supplies instead.
The bowl-shaped city of New Orleans is particularly vulnerable to storms, with the centre of the city the furthest below sea-level.
Residents are hoping that billions of dollars spent on reinforcing flood defences that failed catastrophically in 2005 will hold this time.
Robert Washington, a New Orleans resident, told the Associated Press he does not trust the levees.
He lives in the Lower Ninth Ward, which saw some of the greatest damage after levees broke during Katrina. He planned to evacuate with his family
“I don’t want to take that chance. I saw how it looked after Katrina back here.”
In low-lying Plaquemines Parish, much of which lies outside the New Orleans levee system, a local official told Reuters news agency he was “really worried about the storm surge” – adding that a few more years were needed before flood protections were fully completed.
Isaac has killed at least 24 people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, and caused significant flooding and damage in the Caribbean.
It largely bypassed the Republican convention in Tampa, Florida, but prompted a day-long delay to proceedings there.
The National Hurricane Center warned that a possible combined “storm surge” and high tide would cause flooding in coastal areas along the Gulf Coast.
Water would potentially reach 6-12 ft (1.8-3.7 m) above ground in south-west Louisiana and Mississippi, 4-8ft in Alabama and 3-6 ft in south-central Louisiana.
Isaac is also threatening heavy rainfall of as much as 20 in (51cm) in isolated spots, and could spark possible tornadoes along the northern Gulf Coast.
President Barack Obama has declared a state of emergency in Louisiana, as Tropical Storm Isaac threatens to hit the US as a category two hurricane.
Tropical Storm Isaac is heading for New Orleans, possibly as early as Tuesday night, nearly seven years to the day after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city.
The Republican Party delayed by a day the start of its national convention in Tampa, Florida.
Isaac killed at least 24 people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
The storm wrought significant flooding and damage in the Caribbean.
Late on Monday, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned Isaac could reach category two strength, with top winds of 100 mph (160 km/h). The forecast was revised up from category one.
Barack Obama approved Louisiana’s request for a federal disaster declaration, making available federal funds for recovery activities such as clearing debris.
President Barack Obama has declared a state of emergency in Louisiana, as Tropical Storm Isaac threatens to hit the US as a category two hurricane
Earlier, the governors of Louisiana, Florida, Mississippi and Alabama declared emergencies in their states.
The Republican governors of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi have cancelled their trips to their party’s convention to focus on disaster prevention efforts.
Isaac is already a large storm and could bring significant damage to areas within hundreds of miles of its centre, officials warn.
The NHC said that at 23:00 EDT on Monday (03:00 GMT on Tuesday), Isaac was centred about 189 miles (305 km) south-east of the mouth of the Mississippi river, with maximum sustained wind speeds of 70 mph (110 km/h).
The storm is moving forward at about 10mph and storm winds extend out about 205 miles (335 km) from the centre.
The NHC warned that wind speeds could reach between 96-110 mph before the storm makes landfall.
Evacuations have already been ordered for some low-lying Louisiana parishes and parts of coastal Alabama.
Wednesday is the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, which strengthened in the Gulf to a category five storm, before weakening to category three by the time it reached New Orleans.
Federal officials said the levees around New Orleans are now equipped to handle storms stronger than Isaac. Levee failures led to the catastrophic flooding in the area after Katrina.
“It’s a much more robust system than what it was when Katrina came ashore,” Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate said in a conference call with reporters.
Craig Fugate also said that Isaac was not just a New Orleans storm.
“This is a Gulf Coast storm. Some of the heaviest impact may be in Alabama and Mississippi,” he said.
A stream of vehicles left New Orleans on the highway heading west for Baton Rouge on Monday, as people made their way to higher ground.
Linda Grandison, who fled her home in 2005 and waited on a bridge for three days before she was rescued by a helicopter, has also decided to leave early, the Associated Press reported.
“You can’t predict God’s work,” she said.
“This is nerve-wracking. I hate leaving my house, worrying if it’s going to flood or get looted. But I’m not going to stay in the city again.”
Evacuations have already been put in place for Louisiana’s St Charles Parish, near New Orleans, and some areas of coastal Alabama.
A hurricane warning is already in effect for some 300 miles of the Gulf Coast in four states from Louisiana to Florida, with lower-level warnings issued for many areas along Florida’s west coast.
Florida Governor Rick Scott told reporters on Monday that 60,000 people were already without power as a result of the storm.
Storm surges of 6-12ft (1.83-3.66m) were possible along the Gulf coast, with the biggest danger in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
As much as 1ft of rain could fall.
US offshore oil production is expected to be badly hit, as are refineries in lowland Louisiana.
As much as 78% of the Gulf’s crude oil production and 48% of its natural gas production had been closed ahead of the storm, government figures showed.
BP and Chevron have shut down oil production in the Gulf, and BP is evacuating its platform there.
Tens of thousands of Louisiana residents have been ordered to evacuate as Tropical Storm Isaac picks up strength in the Gulf of Mexico.
Isaac may strike seven years to the day after Hurricane Katrina devastated the same area.
More than 50,000 residents of the St. Charles Parish in southeast Louisiana have been told to leave ahead of Isaac, which is currently churning in the Gulf.
Earlier in the day, Gov. Bobby Jindal had also suggested that anyone in low-lying parts of the state’s coastal parishes evacuate.
A hurricane warning has been issued for parts of the state east of Morgan City, which includes the New Orleans area.
Isaac is expected to be a strong Category 2 hurricane when it comes ashore late Tuesday or early Wednesday. Wednesday is the seventh anniversary of Katrina.
There were fears that Isaac could strike New Orleans with the same deadly force as the monster storm, which wiped out homes and led to the death of nearly 2,000 people.
Tens of thousands of Louisiana residents have been ordered to evacuate as Tropical Storm Isaac picks up strength in the Gulf of Mexico
Meanwhile, Isaac shifted West into the Gulf of Mexico after lashing the Florida Keys with strong winds and heavy rain.
Also on Sunday, Alabama joined Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana in declaring a state of emergency as Isaac looms.
The National Hurricane Center said Isaac was due to be at or near category-two hurricane strength soon after its center crosses the Florida Keys late on Sunday.
The latest forecast takes Isaac into the Mississippi coast with maximum sustained winds from 96 to 110 mph over the next few days.
At least 1,836 people died and cost of the damage was estimated at $110 billion. Forbes reported that Isaac has the possibility to rival Katrina in its destructive power.
A storm becomes a hurricane when sustained winds reach a minimum of 74 miles per hour (119 kph).
The NHC said Isaac was expected to intensify to a Category 2 hurricane, with “extremely dangerous” sustained winds of 105 miles per hour (169 kph), as it swept up the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane warning for the northern Gulf Coast from Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle on Sunday.
At 2:00 p.m. (EDT) on Sunday, Isaac was about 50 miles (85 km) south-southeast of Key West and packing top sustained winds of 60 miles (100 km) per hour.
Tropical force winds from the massive storm stretched across 400 miles (644 km), with rain bands extending even further, said NHC meteorologist David Zelinsky.
It meant Isaac could cause significant damage even in places where it does not pass directly overhead.
“It certainly is a large storm,” he said, noting that wind gusts of 60 mph (100 kph) had been detected as far apart as Key West and Palm Beach.
The storm will likely pick up strength from the warm, open waters of the Gulf of Mexico and strike as a dangerous Category 2 hurricane somewhere between New Orleans and the Florida Panhandle on Wednesday.
Airlines cancelled hundreds of flights as the storm lashed southeastern Florida today. Airports in Miami and Fort Lauderdale were hit the hardest, cancelling 573 flights – the vast majority of the 654 U.S. flights grounded overall because of the storm as of Sunday morning.
There were scattered power outages from Key West to Fort Lauderdale affecting more than 6,000 customers, and flooding occurred in low-lying areas.
Isaac has brought havoc to the Caribbean already, killing seven people in Haiti and downing trees and power lines in Cuba.
It had officials worried enough in Tampa that they shuffled around some plans for the Republican National Convention.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will officially be nominated as the Republican Party’s presidential candidate on Tuesday, one day later than originally planned.
His nationally-televised acceptance speech will be on Thursday night as originally planned.
Tuesday evening’s program includes remarks by Ann Romney, the candidate’s wife, as well as by New Jersey Gov Chris Christie, previously announced as the keynote speaker.
Paul Ryan will deliver his acceptance speech Wednesday evening in prime time in the eastern part of the United States, and Mitt Romney’s speech dominates the final night.
People in southern Florida have been making final preparations for Tropical Storm Isaac, as it barrels to the US.
Hundreds of flights and sailings have been cancelled, high winds have already caused power cuts and oil rigs are facing possible closures.
Other US states are also on alert as forecasters warn that Isaac could strengthen further.
The storm has already caused havoc in the Caribbean, killing at least six in Haiti and bringing floods to Cuba.
The National Hurricane Center said the storm was moving at about 20 mph (30km/h) towards Florida’s southern tip, and was expected to begin battering the coastline during the day on Sunday.
It was packing sustained winds of 65 mph.
People in southern Florida have been making final preparations for Tropical Storm Isaac, as it barrels to the US
Residents of the Florida Keys, a thin island chain connected to the mainland by a single road, have been driving north all weekend.
They are well-used to the ritual of storm preparation, and many have boarded up their homes and businesses in preparation.
A few bars and restaurants stayed open late on Saturday to serve small groups of tourists and locals willing to risk the storm.
“We’ll just catch every place that’s open,” holidaymaker Ted Lamarche told the AP news agency.
Hurricane watches were put in place along the coastlines of western Florida, Alabama, Mississippi and south-eastern Louisiana.
Florida Governor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency to make sure emergency services would be ready when the storm hit.
The Republican Party has been forced to delay the start of its national convention in the western Florida city of Tampa because of the storm.
The eye of the storm is forecast to hit the US coastline further north, but with its effects felt up to 230 miles away, Tampa is expecting a soaking and powerful winds.
The Republican party, which is due to formally nominate Mitt Romney as its presidential candidate during the meeting, said the convention would begin on Tuesday, a day later than planned.
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