Will Hurricane Isaac rival Katrina?

The storm veers away from Tampa's Republican convention, but now it's on a path to hit New Orleans — on the seventh anniversary of another deadly hurricane

A Louisiana resident rests on his cot in a Belle Chasse hurricane shelter Aug. 27
(Image credit: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

Forecasters no longer expect Tropical Storm Isaac to rain on the parade of Republicans gathered in Tampa to nominate Mitt Romney as their presidential candidate, but that's where the good news ends. Now that the storm is veering west of Florida, it will have more time to gather strength over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. That means it will probably be a more powerful hurricane than previously expected by the time it finally crashes ashore. Not only that, but Isaac's new path has it headed straight toward New Orleans, with landfall expected on the seventh anniversary — to the day — of Hurricane Katrina. Is Isaac another Katrina in the making? Here, a brief guide:

How strong will Isaac be?

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