At 11:25 am Jamaica time (12:25 pm EST time), Tropical Storm isaac developed into a Category 1 hurricane, officially becoming the ninth hurricane this season.
It is now located at Latitude 28.4 degrees N, longitude 88.7 degrees West, or 135 miles SE of New Orleans Louisiana.
It now has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and is moving north-westerly at 45 mph.
Its outer bands are sweeping the Southern Louisiana coast line, where Isaac is expected to make landfall later today.
However the states of Mississippi, Alabama and the Florida panhandle will also feel effects of the outer bands of this hurricane as it's a large storm with spans over 300 miles in width.
Although Issac (the storm) passed north of Jamaica, on Saturday morning, we experienced high winds and flooding in sections of the parishes of St. Andrew and St. Catherine on Sunday and Monday.
The Bog Walk Gorge (a major roadway linking Southern to Northern Jamaica), which was flooded and blocked by debris, is now clear and the National Works Agency is clearing downed trees along other major roadways in rural Jamaica.
Caribbean Airlines flights that were cancelled on Sunday and Monday, should resume today and tomorrow, with left-over passengers from the Sunday and Monday flights being transported on a special flight today.
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Gillian
Sources Include
1) Article,"Isaac: Storm declared a hurricane as it moves toward New Orleans",by Manuel Roig-Franzia and Brady Dennis, Washington Post, August 28,2012
2) Article, "Isaac: Gulf Coast Impacts and Timeline", weather.com's Hurricane Central, August 28,2012
3) CVM Television, August 27,2012