HURRICANE Isaac has slammed into New Orleans today — seven years to the day that Hurricane Katrina devastated the city.
Rising waters have already breached protective levees close to the city, which braces itself for flooding.
The powerful storm has touched down on land this morning at Plaquemines Parish, about 60 miles south of New Orleans near the mouth of the Mississippi.
High winds and heavy rains have already forced thousands of people to flee their homes.
Issac is not as powerful as Katrina, but has brought about 80mph winds and killed at least 24 people in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
New Orleans was rebuilt with multi-billion dollar flood defences after the city was swamped by Katrina's strength in 2005.
It was the most costly natural disaster in US history and killed around 1,800 people.
Power ... the storm has lashed Louisiana
US President Barack Obama has scrambled resources ahead of the storm’s impact, mindful of the chaos and botched relief efforts in the wake of Katrina.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu assured residents that this time around “your city is secure”.
He said emergency services were ready for search and rescue missions.
Landrieu told a news conference: “We’re in the heart of this fight. We are in the hunker-down phase.”
Flood ... many hope flood defences will hold
About 1,000 US National Guard troops in military vehicles took up positions in the mostly deserted streets of New Orleans, brandishing assault rifles to maintain order. Police cars patrolled darkened streets with blue lights flashing.
Obama urged residents to take heed of warnings and take cover, saying that now was “not the time to tempt fate”.
He issued emergency declarations for Louisiana and Mississippi earlier this week.
Isaac’s arrival on the anniversary of Katrina cast a spotlight on the enduring struggle of the iconic American city, its residents and its distinctive culture.
Shelter ... thousands brace themselves for Isaac
When the 2005 storm hit, the city endured days of deadly disorder, widespread looting and other crimes. Hundreds drowned, while others waited for days to be plucked from their rooftops by Coast Guard helicopters.
Hundreds of thousands of residents were moved away from the state while others were provided with temporary housing in trailers.
After Katrina, the Army Corps of Engineers built a $14.5billion defence system of walls, floodgates, levees and pumps designed to protect the city from heavy tidal surges.
On Tuesday morning, army engineers closed the floodgate at Lake Borgne, east of New Orleans, for the first time. It is the largest storm-surge barrier in the world.
Power ... winds of 80mph have hit coastal areas
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