Isaac downgraded to tropical storm -- but still dangerous

Isaac was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm Wednesday afternoon, even as flooding continued along the Gulf Coast and authorities raced to rescue residents from rising waters.

One-third of Louisiana households -- about 656,000 homes -- had no power, and a dusk-to-dawn curfew was ordered in New Orleans and other communities. Thousands were without power in Mississippi as well.

Dangerous conditions remain, officials warned. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal told residents of his state: “There is much more coming,”’ predicting heavy rain and strong winds into Friday.

PHOTOS: Isaac lashes Gulf Coast

In Plaquemines Parish, south of New Orleans, water reached roof level in some areas, with rescue workers in small boats carrying stranded residents from flooded homes. Animals were rescued as well, including about 15 dogs, a cat in a cage, even a fawn.

As many as 40 people could still be stranded, officials said. The wind was so strong, churning up large waves in the flood waters, that walking forward was difficult and, at times, impossible.

“If that’s a Category 1 storm, I don’t want to go through anything stronger,’’ parish President Billy Nungesser told WWLTV. Officials were considering intentionally breaching a non-federal levee there to relieve the pressure.

MAP: The path of Isaac

In New Orleans, officials said the flood-protection system -- shored up after Hurricane Katrina -- was holding.

But Mayor Mitch Landrieu cautioned residents, “Now is not the time to let your guard down.”

He said that although the $10 billion in federal flood-protection facilities put in place since Katrina was holding, there was likely to be street flooding from the heavy rain.

“Stay hunkered down,” he said.

Landrieu also issued a plea for residents to minimize the flushing of toilets -- part of an effort to reduce the stress on the sewer system.

Louisiana officials worked to deploy a wide range of items and people, including emergency generators, pumps, tarps, a tugboat and National Guard troops.

President Obama and members of his administration spoke to Gulf Coast officials by phone Wednesday to offer their support. The White House said the president also directed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to “remain proactive”’ and prepare for any problems as the storm heads inland.

In Louisiana, officials reported one unconfirmed death -- from a fire related to the storm -- and a handful of arrests for looting. Landrieu issued a reminder that looting carries a mandatory three-year jail sentence. “We’re going to have zero tolerance for lawlessness,’’ he said.

Elsewhere, large swaths of southern Mississippi were flooded and thousands were without power Wednesday afternoon as Isaac slowly made its way inland.

“The storm has decided to sit, pretty much unmoved; it’s just pushing up water to our tributaries and low-lying areas,” said Jackson County spokeswoman Monica Cooper. “We are preparing for a night of continued rain and flooding.”

About half of Harrison County, which includes Biloxi, had flooded by mid-Wednesday, said county emergency management spokesman Butch Oberhoff. Mandatory evacuations had been ordered over the weekend, and so far there had been no calls for rescue or reports of flooded homes, he said.

The area was still being inundated with rain and high winds Wednesday afternoon, so officials have not been able to assess damage in the region, he said. There were reports of fallen trees and limbs and some blocked roads, he said.

“This storm has been just been so frustrating because it’s been so difficult to predict and it’s moving so slowly that -- while it’s not a Category 3 or 4 -- it’s just kind of sitting on top of us and dropping a tremendous amount of rain on top of the storm surge,” Oberhoff said.

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richard.simon@latimes.com