As the Atlantic City and southern New Jersey region await Tuesday's one-year anniversary of Hurricane Irene, which crippled the region, including the closure of Atlantic City's casinos, and mandatory evacuation orders from the state ("Get the hell off the beach!" Gov. Chris Christie said during a press conference at the time), the Gulf Coast — which succumbed to one of the worst natural disasters in the United States in recent history with Hurricane Katrina seven years ago — is bracing for the possible wrath of Tropical Storm Issac.
The latest reports indicate that the Isaac is "much weaker than Katrina," but that thousands in Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi have been forced to evacuate as the tropical storm moves in.
Meanwhile, parts of Florida have already been impacted by Isaac, prompting the organizers of this week's planned Republican National Convention in Tampa to cut speeches, and, as of Monday morning, reorganize the event from a four-day schedule to a three-day schedule.
Here are some local emergency management depertments in Atlantic County.
Here are photos and stories from last year's Hurricane Irene.
FEMA encourages you to prepare for a hurricanes and other emergencies now and during the month of September.
Where were you during Hurricane Irene last year?
The storm, which has killed several dozen people in the Caribbean, is expected to be a "storm of historic proportions" for the Mid-Atlantic region, including the New Jersey shore, New York City, Delaware, Pennsylvania and possibly Ohio.
Once again, greetings and salutations. As I’ve always said, the only one that could interrupt the Geator would be a lady. And unfortunately, Irene did it. First time in 40 years that Memories had to close — not only Memories, but this lady took out the entire Jersey shore. So remember, it’s not nice to mess with the lady called Mother Nature. But we’ll make it up to you this weekend. It’s the big Labor Day celebration and, as you know, the official closing of the summer season for most. And we’re going to go nonstop Friday and Saturday, then I’ll see you Sunday at La Costa. Now, let’s ask the Geator.
 You were the youngest kid on Bandstand. How did you get to be the head of the dancers so fast? — Anonymous, Harrisburg, Pa.
 When I entered the first two dance contests in 1953, I won them, and because of that,...
Nothing like this had ever been attempted in this market — or most other markets, I suspect.
New Jersey Transit is suffering from several flooded stations and numerous debris its train tracks due to the residual effects of Hurricane Irene. As a result, it has suspended some of its services until further notice.
At 10am, CNN reported that at least 21 deaths have been caused by the storm.
At least 19 deaths over the past 24 hours, from Florida up to Connecticut, have been blamed on Irene-related incidents, according to national officials.
By the time the southern New Jersey shore region woke up Sunday morning, there was a collective sigh of relief as Hurricane Irene made landfall early in the morning, resulting in much less than flooding and damage — and power outages — than initially anticipated.
While Hurricane Irene has everybody signing the wrong words to the 1982 Dexy's Midnight Runners No. 1 hit "Come on Eileen," the following songs have likely come to mind for many in the path of the big storm.
See live photo feed, live Atlantic City Web cam and latest updates on Hurricane Irene and the Jersey shore region.
"Shelters are places of last resort," Christie said. "Do not go to a center because it's close to your house and driving to a friends' house would take an hour."
AP: "The National Weather Service on Thursday issued a hurricane warning for nearly all the state's 130-mile coast on the Atlantic Ocean, and for areas along the Delaware Bay and River from Cape May nearly to Trenton."
It is a voluntary evacuation, according to reports. However, as experts expect the storm to hit the Jersey shore Saturday night, Christie urges Jersey shore-area residents and visitors not to come to the area this weekend and for those who are here now, to leave, if they can.
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