Isaac Breaches Levee in New Orleans

Residential area flooded

Rising waters from Hurricane Isaac have spilled over a levee south of New Orleans and inundated a residential area, a local official said Wednesday, as the storm bore down on the city seven years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the "Big Easy", killing hundreds along the US Gulf Coast.

Isaac, which reached hurricane strength Tuesday and was packing maximum sustained winds of 80 miles (130 kilometers) per hour, lashed southern Louisiana with heavy rains and strong winds, as residents hunkered down on Wednesday.