Isaac becomes Cat 1 hurricane near Gulf Coast

FLORIDA — Forecasters say Isaac has strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds as it makes its way toward Louisiana.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Tuesday that Isaac gained strength as it moved over the warm, open waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Isaac is expected to make landfall over southeastern Louisiana, possibly the New Orleans area, either late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

At 2 p.m. Tuesday the storm was 135 miles southeast of New Orleans and heading northwest at  10 miles per hour.

• STORM PATH: Isaac Five Day Forecast Path
• COMPUTER MODELS: Isaac Storm Models Plot
• SPECIAL SECTION: Track The Storm
• COUNTY BY COUNTY: Storm Information

Florida Gov. Rick Scott and emergency officials are keeping a close watch on Isaac.

Scott declared a state of emergency in Florida.

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• IMAGES:  Damage left behind in Brevard-Indian River mobile home parks

The National Weather Service will send a team to Indian River County Tuesday morning to confirm whether a tornado touched down in Vero Beach.

South of the Brevard-Indian River County line, damage was left behind in three mobile home parks.

At least 30 homes were damaged or destroyed Monday morning.

Roofs were peeled back and garages collapsed.

Joyce Marraccini told WFTV it only took a matter of seconds for her home to be torn apart.

"All that I know was that I was sitting there and my door flew right past me, and my car is underneath the porch," said Marraccini.

Deputies patrolled the neighborhood overnight to keep potential looters away.

WFTV