ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION<br/> <br />STORY: Hurricane Isaac lashed southern Louisiana with high winds and heavy rains on Wednesday causing widespread damage in New Orleans.<br/> <br />With winds over 80 mph (130kph), the hurricane knocked out power lines and overturned and street lights. Downed trees littered the streets and damaged buildings.<br/> <br />Isaac is the first hurricane to make landfall in the United States this season. While not nearly as strong as Katrina -- which was a Category 3 storm when it slammed the Crescent City on Aug. 29, 2005 -- Category 1 Isaac was still a powerful reminder of New Orleans' vulnerability.<br/> <br />Rainfall accumulations, potentially totaling as much as 20 inches (51 cm) in some areas, were expected to trigger widespread flooding.<br/> <br />The hurricane will be the first test for multibillion-dollar flood defenses built after levees failed under Katrina's storm surge, leaving large parts of low-lying New Orleans swamped.<br/> <br />Isaac will also test the resolve of officials and the preparedness of a city and region where some 1,800 died in the 2005 hurricane, the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history.
