From NHC…

AT 400 PM CDT…2100 UTC…THE CENTER OF HURRICANE ISAAC WAS LOCATED BY NOAA DOPPLER RADARS NEAR LATITUDE 28.7 NORTH…LONGITUDE 89.2 WEST. ISAAC IS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHWEST NEAR 8 MPH…13 KM/H. A NORTHWESTWARD MOTION AT A SLIGHTLY SLOWER SPEED IS EXPECTED OVER THE NEXT DAY OR TWO. ON THE FORECAST TRACK…THE CENTER OF HURRICANE ISAAC SHOULD REACH THE COASTLINE OF SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA THIS EVENING.

MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED TO NEAR 80 MPH…130 KM/H… WITH HIGHER GUSTS. ISAAC IS A CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR- SIMPSON HURRICANE WIND SCALE. SOME SLIGHT STRENGTHENING IS POSSIBLE BEFORE ISAAC MAKES LANDFALL. GRADUAL WEAKENING IS EXPECTED AFTER LANDFALL OCCURS.

HURRICANE-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 60 MILES…95 KM…MAINLY TO THE NORTHEAST AND EAST OF THE CENTER. TROPICAL-STORM-FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 185 MILES…295 KM. TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE OCCURRING ALONG THE COASTAL AREAS OF SOUTHEASTERN LOUISIANA…MISSISSIPPI…AND ALABAMA. NOAA BUOY 42040…LOCATED EAST OF THE MOUTH OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER…RECENTLY MEASURED SUSTAINED WINDS OF 63 MPH…100 KM/H…AND A GUST TO 83 MPH… 135 KM/H.

THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE IS 975 MB…28.79 INCHES.

And an updated storm track…

The news here is that now Isaac is projected to drop down to a tropical storm almost as soon as it goes inland, and that’s good news. Previous tracks had it as a hurricane far more inland than this.

But its speed has dropped considerably. Eight miles an hour is a crawl. At that rate it’ll be over Southeast Louisiana forever.

They’ve closed the new Lake Borgne Surge Barrier south of Slidell.

Mary Landrieu and the New York Times say it’s Paul Ryan’s fault that the hurricane will do damage to people’s property, or something.

There are gawkers out by Lake Ponchartrain wading into the lake to see what storm surge is like, and Mitch Landrieu says they’re deranged.

The nursing home issue in New Orleans isn’t as drastic as it was seven years ago.

Jefferson Parish sheriff Newell Normand is telling the local yokels to play Parcheesi rather than riding around during the hurricane. He didn’t mention that all the drive-thru daiquiri places will be closed, which is really all he had to say.

Finally, we have this…