Thousands evacuate as Isaac hits New Orleans

More than 5000 people have sought emergency shelter from the American Red Cross as Hurricane Isaac continues to batter New Orleans.

By Tuesday night, more than 58,000 homes in New Orleans were reported to have lost power. Outages have also been reported across Louisiana and Mississippi, affecting more than 200,000 homes and business.

Sam Kille of the American Red Cross told BBC News that people were better prepared than they were for Hurricane Katrina in 2005 but that the damage could affect residents long after Isaac has passed.