11:32 AM
Tropical Storm Isaac Just Below Hurricane Strength: NHC
Aug 28 Tropical Storm Isaac was just below hurricane strength as it continued northwestward, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Tuesday. The storm was located about 80 miles (125 km) southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River, with maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour (110 kmph), the NHC said. A northwestward motion at a slightly slower speed is expected over the next day or two, and on the forecast track the center of Isaac should reach the coastline of southeastern Louisiana as early as Tuesday evening, the NHC said. Once ashore, the storm could wreak havoc on low-lying fuel refineries along the Gulf Coast that account for about 40 percent of U.S. refining capacity.
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