Hurricane Isaac is battering the northern U.S. Gulf Coast with strong winds driving sheets of rain as it slowly moves ashore.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the storm made landfall late Tuesday in southeastern Louisiana with sustained winds of 130 kilometers per hour. Forecasters expect Isaac to slowly weaken later Wednesday .
Total rainfall could reach 50 centimeters in some areas, while some parts of Louisiana could see storm surges as high as four meters.
U.S. President Barack Obama has urged residents to get out of the storm's way, saying, "now is not the time to tempt fate" and dismiss official warnings.
The president declared states of emergency for Louisiana and Mississippi, making both states eligible for federal funding and other aid.