Isaac Now a Hurricane, But It's Still No Katrina
Despite similar paths and timing, the two storms are "not even comparable."
(Also see "Drought Reaches New Orleans; Hurricane Isaac Could Add Insult to Injury.")
Rated a Category 1 hurricane—with wind speeds of at least 75 miles an hour (120 kilometers an hour)—Isaac is no lightweight, having already killed 22 in the Caribbean.
The hurricane is also expected to cause significant damage on the Gulf Coast, dumping as much as 20 inches (50 centimeters) of rain on parts of Louisiana. New Orleans in particular could see winds up to 75 miles an hour, which could fel trees and contribute to widespread power outages.
Even so, Isaac and Katrina are "not even comparable, as far as intensity," said Gavin Phillips, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service's New Orleans/Baton Rouge Weather Forecast Office
