Tropical Downpour Lee Bears Down on Gulf Coast

Tropical Storm Lee is swallowing down on the Gulf Coast this morning with constant waves of severe rain.

A huge numbers of consumers have lost power in Louisiana and Mississippi and the storm has also created go ahead mass departures in Louisiana bayou towns.

The center of Tropical Storm Lee is now on the coast of southern Louisiana with greatest continued winds of 45 miles per hour.

In spite of this, conditions won't alter much just because the center is on the coast, because the center isn't where the strongest winds are placed.

"In this case it's not so significant to pay intention on the center. The center is on the coast and it's going to be moving inland in the subsequent many hours," said Todd Kimberlin with the National Hurricane Center. "In this case all the front winds are well detached from the center."

Low lying coastal areas were sufferer to flooding, making some roads so harder, that the only solution to steer them is by paddling.

Jean Lafitte, La. resident Mike Lavelle's home has been changed into an island, encircled by water.

"I thought this was going to take place immediately or afterward. I was expecting it didn't take place but it has happened," Lavelle said.

For Lavelle and so many who windswept Hurricane Katrina just six years ago, all of this, is all too well-known.

Jean Lafitte Mayor Tim Kerner is hoping sandbag blockades will save his small town in southeast Louisiana.

Tropical Storm Lee may come and go, but Kerner's not going any place.

"If they made everyone leave, I'd purchased a house boat and stay here," Kerner said. "I signify I love this area and it's worth fighting for. We're down right now, but this population's not giving up."

Down the street, Jean Lafitte inhabitant Laura Melancon is paddling her way home.

"We're like caught with our cars and we can't actually move around a great deal," Melancon said.

With the center now on shore, West End resident Phillip Boudreaux said he isn't confident that the severe weather will vanish away anytime instantly.

"I don't consider it's over yet. I think it's going to get as not good as before it gets better," Boudreaux said.

All over the area, people used up the holiday weekend running overtime to save their homes.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu told inhabitant to remain attentive.

"We're not out of the woods. Don't go to sleep on this storm," Landrieu said, the Associated Press reported.

Tropical Storm Lee's profound rains still pose the threat of more wide-spreading flooding or flash flooding to the Gulf Coast.

"Some possibility that the rain will carry on today and tomorrow and include to the totals which have already fallen and then the storm is expected to lose tropical characteristics and become post tropical," said Kimberlin