STORM

Isaac Forces Evacuations

CNN's Cooper, O'Brien head to New Orleans.

Governors in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama declared a state of emergency Monday as Tropical Storm Isaac approached the Gulf Coast states. Storm watchers noted that the weather system was on a path similar to that followed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. “I am urging everyone to take precautions now, monitor weather warnings, and be prepared for whatever Isaac may bring,” Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley said in a statement as thousands of residents along the coast in each of the three states prepared to pack up and head out of the storm’s path. CNN's Anderson Cooper and Soledad O'Brien headed to New Orleans on Monday, a sign of the effect the storm may have on coverage for the Republican convention.