NEW ORLEANS (AP) – New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu said about 1,000 National Guard troops are positioned in New Orleans, working with police, firefighters and standing by for rescue operations.
At a news conference held Tuesday just minutes after forecasters said Hurricane Isaac had made landfall in Plaquemines Parish, Landrieu said the city is expecting a lot of rain and wind.
He told residents that now is the time to hunker down with final preparations.
Isaac was moving toward the northwest and was expected to expose the city to its nastiest weather.
“Your city is secure,” he told residents, while advising them to use “common sense” in their final preparations.
Landrieu said more than 2,900 federal, state and local law enforcement officers are on duty in the city.