Hurricane Isaac has been downgraded to a tropical storm, after coming ashore in the United States, toppling trees and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses around Louisiana.

The storm hit seven years to the day that the more powerful Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans.

An estimated 650,000 people are currently without power in an areas stretching across Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi.
    
The massive rainfall and storm surge from Isaac is creating big problems for the levee system in part of New Orleans.

“Emergency management officials reported overtopping of a levee on the east bank, this will result in significant, deep flooding in this area,” said CNN’s Zorida Sambolin.

While the levee hasn’t been breached and didn’t collapse, the surge of water caused issues for the area of Plaquemines Parish, approximately 30 minutes south of New Orleans, which is under a mandatory evacuation. Officials say they plan to intentionally puncture the floodwall to relieve the strain.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said as many as 40 people in the area needed to be rescued.

“There is no way we can operate a boat or airboat in these winds, so if they’re in their house and they have a second floor, they’ll have to stay there and we’ll look at rescuing them when this wind dies down and we get daylight,” said one official.

There are reports that some homes in that area are currently flooded with more than three metres of water.

“We had reports that there was one lady on a rooftop, we’re fighting these elements and we’re also enlisting the Coast Guard and National Guard to help,” said one official.

Rob Marciano of CNN says the slow speed with which the storm is moving over Louisiana is disturbing.

“This (storm) is crawling, it is a much weaker storm than Katrina but the speed with which it is going to move is what this storm will be known for,” Marciano said.

Winds have been clocked at over 130 km/h and the rain continues to pour as Isaac makes its way across Louisiana.