After delaying the Republican National Convention and covering South Florida with sheets of wind and rain, Tropical Storm Isaac has put residents of the Gulf Coast on edge as it barrels toward the region ahead of the seven-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.

Meteorologists predict that the storm will make landfall in the Gulf Tuesday or Wednesday as a Category 2 hurricane. The areas between Morgan City, Louisiana, and Destin, Florida, have been told to brace for the storm’s impact. In preparation, state officials in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama have already issued mandatory evacuations for some areas within their respective states.

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency Sunday, and ordered the evacuation of 53,000 residents of St. Charles Parish near New Orleans.

Alabama’s Gov. Robert Bentley ordered mandatory evacuations to begin Monday morning for residents who live along the state’s coast and in low-lying areas.

"I am urging everyone to take precautions now, monitor weather warnings and be prepared for whatever Isaac may bring," Bentley said in a statement released Sunday.

Category 2 hurricanes carry sustained winds of between 74 and 95 mph and a strong storm surge. Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall on Aug. 29, 2005, was a Category 3 hurricane that devastated New Orleans and damaged coastal and low-lying areas in Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi. Hurricane Katrina and its wake of devastation claimed hundreds of lives and had an economic impact of $110 billion in the states of Louisiana and Mississippi.

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(Photo: NOAA via Getty Images)