In Plaquemines Parish, Isaac ‘terrifying’

>>> well, good evening once again from tampa, the second night of this weather shortened gop convention. again tonight the weather is making news and lots of it, causing a lot of damage and suffering along the gulf coast , a surprising amount, in fact. isaac is no longer officially a hurricane but isaac is still a sprawling and slow-moving storm that has made for some dire circumstances and vast flooding in the southern reaches of louisiana . take a look at the satellite picture from overnight as it approached, the storm as seen against the lit-up population centers along the southeast. so again tonight before we get to the action going on behind us here, we move to our north and west to the battered gulf coast line and our weather team. beginning with gabe gutierrez who saw the worst of it in plaquemines parish south of new orleans. gabe, good evening.

>> reporter: brian, good evening. the flood gate behind me cost about $2 billion and prevented the floodwater from spilling in st. bernard parish, which is just a few feet away. just to the south, there was no system like this. and today we saw the consequences. in braithwaite, louisiana , the wall of water came faster than they ever expected. danny mason was stuck on the second floor.

>> i didn't expect it to be like this, you know, the water to come up like this. i thought we was going to have just a little bit of rain squall.

>> reporter: as isaac pounded plaquemines parish , the storm surged past 8 foot levees trapping those left behind .

>> able to get everybody up in the attic we could, then the boat came and we put a couple of people through the front door that couldn't get up to the attic.

>> reporter: more than $14 billion have been spent improving the levee system in south louisiana since katrina hit seven years ago, but the levees around plaquemines parish were not part of the upgrade and isaac is making residents pay.

>> it was dark, couldn't see anything. these wonderful guys came by in a boat. i don't even know who they were.

>> reporter: this small low-lying community had been warned to evacuate on monday. most left, some didn't. others still refuse to leave.

>> sure you don't want to leave, huh?

>> no.

>> reporter: the national guard moved in, so did local sheriff's deputies and volunteers rushing to rescue those trapped in or on their homes to take them to shore.

>> this one was the worst one we ever had, worst. let me tell you, it ain't nice.

>> reporter: max landry and jimmy didn't think twice as they plucked people from their homes.

>> i grew up right here. i ain't never seen water like this.

>> reporter: exactly seven years ago today, katrina hammered this parish. even with that history, the parish president said isaac was worse than he ever expected.

>> there was 20 plus feet that rolled through the parish. this wasn't supposed to be a katrina . it's turning out for the east bank to be as bad if not worst.

>> reporter: at this rescue shelter, families who lost everything take comfort in what they have left.

>> didn't think it would be that bad. everybody saying with it being a tropical storm that it wasn't going to be bad, so we rode it out. i wish i wouldn't have.

>> reporter: louisiana 's governor said officials may breach part of the levee to release pressure on the flood walls. tonight we have late word 60 to 75 people have been rescued here. no deaths have been reported. brian.

>> gabe gutierrez after a long night in plaquemines parish , just south of new orleans. lester