7 years after Katrina, NOLA braces for Isaac

Updated 11:20 p.m. ET

(CBS/AP) NEW ORLEANS - On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall along the Mississippi-Louisiana border, forever changing the region and the way officials react to incoming storms. With Tropical Storm Isaac now projected to potentially hit the area on almost the exact same day of the month - probably as a hurricane - the lessons from the disaster that followed Katrina have not been lost. Local officials are taking an extremely cautious approach to weather threats.

Both Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal have declared a state of emergency in their states as Isaac's path moved west of the Florida Keys. Jindal suggested Sunday that people leave low-lying parts of coastal parishes.

"Make sure you have a game plan, follow your local leaders, and pay attention to changing weather conditions especially from the National Weather Service," Jindal said.

Jindal also said he may cancel his speaking engagement at the GOP National Convention in Tampa later this week if the threat to his state does not subside. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley has already canceled his trip to the convention because of Isaac.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu declared a state of emergency Sunday afternoon, reports NOLA.com.

Landrieu said he declared the emergency "so that everybody in the city of New Orleans can begin to prepare."

The storm was still a day-and-a-half away, according to current models, but Landrieu said they were not taking any chances.

"The better part of wisdom here is to be prepared," Landrieu said, according to NOLA.com.

Landrieu said that for now, he expects New Orleans residents to shelter in place. But he says that if New Orleans is evacuated, there won't be any shelter.

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Gulf Coast leaders are almost certainly still wary of the intense criticism after Hurricane Katrina leveled at local officials, many of whom are no longer in politics. About 2,000 people died in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama after those storms.

Meanwhile, in nearby Grand Isle, police say Mayor David Camardelle has called a mandatory evacuation immediately for campers and tourists. Police say residents are to leave Monday morning as Isaac's path moves west.

Landfall is expected late Tuesday or Wednesday.

Orleans, Plaquemines, Jefferson and St. Charles parishes all have declared a state of emergency.

Plaquemines Parish crews hustled to levees around the low-lying New Orleans suburb. St. Charles Parish closed schools through Wednesday.

St. Charles Parish is stocking sandbag locations; people will need their own shovels.

The captain of the port of Morgan City warned of gale-force winds within 72 hours.

The New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Track ordered evacuation about 700 horses from its stables.

Oil rigs out in the Gulf began evacuating late last week; 3,500 of them could be at risk.