HERRIMAN — Almost a full day after landfall, Hurricane Isaac was downgraded to Tropical Storm Isaac Tuesday.

The storm is still dangerous and destructive as it moves across the Gulf Coast, and Utahns with family members of people living in that area of the country had growing concern Tuesday night.

Related:

Isaac steers clear of direct blow on New Orleans

Hurricane Isaac sidestepped New Orleans on Wednesday, sending the worst of its howling wind and heavy rain into a cluster of rural fishing villages that had few defenses against the slow-moving storm that could bring days of unending rain.

Justin and Willie Hazel, natives of New Orleans, are among the worried. They last heard from Justin's uncle through an email written a short time after evacuating the uncle was forced to evacuate his home.

"They moved whatever they could to the second floor," Justin explained.

His uncle headed out and water filled up, taking over the the first floor. He got out just in time, but his neighbors chose to stay behind.

#before_after

"They started grabbing stuff and heading up to their second floor, and it just rose so fast that they were pretty much trapped on the second floor," Justin said. "To get out, they had to punch their way through the ceiling and (climb) onto the roof and (wait) for rescue."

They were trapped by more than 12 feet of water. Before-and-after photos Justin shared with KSL News show flood water reaching almost the roof of a convenience store in his uncle's neighborhood.

Justin's father can relate to the terror: he grew up in New Orleans.

Willie Hazel moved before Katrina but has lived through this kind of destruction. Now, as he watches his home town drown, he waits to hear from his brother.

"That's the hard part," Willie said. "There's nothing you really can do. you just hope and pray that everything is fine there."

Related topics