Powerful Hurricane Isaac slams US on Katrina anniversary

The US National Hurricane Center said in an advisory yesterday the storm remained a Category 1 hurricane with top sustained winds.

Storm's here! An entire street in Louisiana bears a desolate look as waves pound the roads and homes.

Widespread flooding was reported in New Orleans and other coastal cities. A swollen Mississippi River spilled over the top of a levee in a rural stretch of Plaquemines Parish, south of New Orleans.

A downed streetlight lies in the rain from Hurricane Isaac in the Central Business District in New Orleans. Pics/AFP

Early reports from Isaac's effects were far different from the events that unfolded around Hurricane Katrina - which slammed the region seven years to the day and led to levee breaches and mass flooding of the city.

Thousands of residents in south Mississippi remained without power, officials said. According to latest figures, almost 560,000 homes were without power across four states. Officials also asked residents to stay indoors and only travel if necessary.u00a0