Isidore attacks Gulf Coast shores

NEW ORLEANS -- Tropical Storm Isidore blew ashore early Thursday with near hurricane-force wind and rain that flooded New Orleans streets with water up to car windshields.\nAbout 110,000 homes and businesses in Louisiana and Mississippi had lost power as the loosely organized storm worked its way inland. The maximum sustained wind was 65 mph, 9 mph slower than hurricane strength. Tornado warnings and flood watches were posted from the central Louisiana coast to the Florida panhandle.\nThere were no immediate reports of injuries.\nAt 11 a.m. EDT, Isidore's ill-defined center was near Poplarville, Miss., moving erratically north-northeast about 14 mph. The storm has fallen from hurricane strength, defined as sustained winds of at least 74 mph, since hitting Mexico over the weekend.\nSeveral tornadoes spun out of the unstable weather and touched down in the Florida Panhandle. One, in Santa Rosa Beach, damaged more than a dozen houses on Wednesday. Other tornadoes were reported in Bay County and Jackson County, where at least four homes were damaged.\nIn Louisiana, a twister touched down in Lafourche Parish, near where Isidore made landfall. Flying debris damaged three police vehicles.\nForecasters said Isidore would likely cut a north-northeast path through Alabama and Mississippi on Thursday, weakening as it continued inland. A tropical storm warning remained in effect Thursday morning along the Gulf Coast from east of High Island, Texas, to St. Marks, Fla.\nLouisiana Gov. Mike Foster, visiting the state's emergency operations center in Baton Rouge, said Port Fourchon appeared to be hit hard. The huge oil terminal, on the gulf where the storm made landfall, is the gateway to about 13 percent of the nation's crude oil and more than 75 percent of offshore oil and gas production in the central gulf.\n"Fourchon, I am told, is a lake right now," Foster said. He said he had reports of 5-foot tides, the highest he had ever heard of there.\nAs the storm's eye passed over Houma, tree limbs fell on utility lines and power went out throughout the town. Entergy Corp. reported about 87,000 southern Louisiana customers lost power, including about 44,000 in greater New Orleans and 28,000 in the Lafourche Parish area.\n"There's no doubt that this is a major storm," Entergy spokesman Cyril Guerrera said. "Even though it was not the major hurricane like it was a few days ago, it still gave us a real good hit."\nBefore daylight, rescue crews ferried residents from a public housing project in Houma.\n"We woke up and found 2 feet of water in our apartment," said Laquincy Nixon as he walked out with his son and daughter in his arms. "I lost everything--everything."\nAt Grand Isle, Petty Officer Michael Holmes said water came to the doors of the Coast Guard station, with wind gusting at 50 to 60 mph.\n"Pretty much the whole island is under water," he said.\nAt the peak, 5 feet of water covered the island, Police Chief Edward Bradberry said.\nNew Orleans streets were largely empty of people and vehicles early Thursday because of a curfew to keep roadways clear for emergency vehicles. Mississippi officials issued similar curfews in Biloxi and Gulfport.\nTwo days of steady downpours had already dumped 10-12 inches on some New Orleans streets, and the French Quarter, usually aglitter all night, was empty, with many bar fronts boarded up before midnight. One of the open bars was Molly's at the Market, where about a dozen people holed up against the rain.