Having pummeled Cuba and Mexico, Category 4 storm projected to be the first major hurricane on record to pass through bay abutting US state's Big Bend area

US National Hurricane Center says Category 4 gale has become 'extremely dangerous' with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph

Storm expected to make US landfall Sunday afternoon, battering New Orleans on 16th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina; 'Extended power loss is almost certain,' says city official

Storm slated to bring winds as high as 130 mph and flooding rains when it slams into US shores, endangering New Orleans and parts of Alabama

Center of storm projected to pass just off the eastern tip of Long Island by midday, bringing flooding and heavy winds

Authorities warns of 'unsurvivable storm surges' as hundreds of thousands of Gulf Coast residents are instructed to evacuate their homes

Category 1 storm with 140 kph winds, set to also reach South Carolina, Washington, Philadelphia and New York; Florida escaped after Isaias hit Caribbean islands

US states on southeast seaboard brace for storm, which is expected to move northeastward after passing over the Bahamas