WWL-TV reports the metropolitan area of New Orleans, Louisiana remains in the path of Tropical Storm Isaac.

#Tornado warn. until 2pm EDT for NW Hardee, SW Polk, SE Hillsborough and NE Manatee Counties in FL. wxch.nl #Isaac

Reuters: BP says it has shut down production at all gulf platforms, and all platforms are fully evacuated; it is "taking precautions" at its Texas City, Texas refinery ahead of Isaac, but operations are normal.

RT @wvuefox8: St. Bernard Parish calls for mandatory evacuation of residents living outside the hurricane protection levee by 4:00 pm today.

Tropical Storm Isaac: 1 PM CT, 65 mph winds, 984 mb, moving NW at 14 mph. wxch.nl

Reuters: Chevron has evacuated workers from their Gulf of Mexico facilities. Chevron adds "some" Gulf of Mexico production affected because of third-party pipeline closures ahead of Tropical Storm Isaac. Chevron says their Pascagoula Mississippi refinery "continues to operate."

12-18" water entering homes in Lauderhill, FL, per @NWSMelbourne. Rainband trying to push offshore from S to N. wxch.nl #Isaac

Harrah's Casino in New Orleans will close at midnight #LAwx #Isaac

Pass Christian, MS orders boat owners to move their vessels out of the city harbor #MSwx #Isaac

RT @wvuefox8: Last evacuation bus will leave St. Charles Parish at 4:30 today from West Bank Bridge Park in Luling. #LAwx #Isaaac

From Dale Eck, Director of the Global Forecast Center at the Weather Channel:

The Storm Prediction Center is considering issuing a tornado watch for the Tampa area as today’s sunshine and proximity to Isaac’s winds is increasing the instability in the region which could lead to strong thunderstorms and possible tornadoes.

(Track Tropical Storm Isaac at Weather.com)

From Carl Parker, meteorologist and hurricane specialist at the Weather Channel:

Tropical Storm Isaac is a very large system that is expected to become a hurricane and move very slowly into the northern Gulf Coast over the next three days. Because of its large size and slow forward movement, a prolonged period of strong wind and heavy rains will likely wreak havoc in Louisiana, Mississippi and possibly Alabama.

Isaac is becoming more organized, and Air Force Hurricane Hunters found hurricane force winds northwest of the center earlier today. The pressure has also dropped to 984 millibars. However, vertical instability, a measure of whether the atmosphere would tend to support or inhibit storm development, is currently not particularly favorable across much of the Gulf of Mexico, making rapid intensification of the storm less likely, though not impossible.

Heavy rains in an outer band have been repeatedly moving over parts of South Florida, causing flooding in parts of Palm Beach County. Conditions will gradually improve through much of Florida tonight, while starting to worsen along the northern Gulf Coast. Tropical storm force winds are expected to move into the coast by tomorrow morning, increasing through the day and lingering through much of Wednesday, and even into Thursday. Hurricane-force winds may affect LA and MS and possibly AL for many hours. Widespread power outages are anticipated through the I-10 and 1-55 corridors, from Jackson to New Orleans, and from Mobile to Lake Charles. Perhaps the most significant impact will be relentless rains, which will almost certainly lead to severe flooding across the region. Double-digit rainfall totals are likely.

Storm surge of 5-10 feet is possible from Mobile Bay westward through southeast Louisiana, and surge may top 10 feet east of New Orleans. The Big Easy is however considerably more well-protected than it was in 2005, thanks to an additional 133 miles of heavily fortified levees, flood walls and flood gates.

The bottom line is that Isaac is huge storm that will pound the northern Gulf Coast from Tuesday through Thursday, and the impacts are likely to be severe. Preparations should be rushed to completion now, as the storm will begin to affect the region overnight tonight.

(Track Tropical Storm Isaac at Weather.com)

From Dale Eck, Director of the Global Forecast Center at the Weather Channel:

Thunderstorms scattered about the Tampa area at 3:45 that could bring wind gusts to 40 mph as were reported at Sarasota in the past hour.

(Track Tropical Storm Isaac at Weather.com)

Mandatory evacuations for low-lying areas of Terrebonne Parish, LA #LAwx #Isaac

MT @bobbyjindal: Today is the last day to evacuate. The last day to get supplies. Weather will deteriorate Tues. #Isaac

Prelim data from NHC suggest #Isaac not becoming a hurricane at 5p - but that was before the 982mb recon fix, so stay tuned...

Army/Air National Guard elements throughout the SE United States are preparing for TS Isaac

RT @HeidiCullen: RT @wunderground: Hurricane hunters have measured 80-85 mph winds on the west side of #Isaac.