Hurricane Isaac damaged at least 13,000 homes

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A state emergency official says Hurricane Isaac damaged at least 13,000 homes in Louisiana. The numbers released Tuesday are the first official damage estimates from the storm that struck a week ago. Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness spokeswoman Christina Stephens called the figures “very preliminary.” Isaac came ashore in Louisiana near the mouth of the Mississippi River as a Category 1 storm, relatively weak compared to other named storms that remain fresh in residents’ memories. But its damage, particularly flooding, was significant in Plaquemines and St. John the Baptist parishes. It inundated homes and left residents awaiting rescues from rooftops. The floodwaters were receding and the widespread power outages have nearly all been repaired.