(Nashville) - - Some USET member Tribes are seeing the effects of Hurricane Isaac, now deemed Tropical Storm Isaac, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) website. Tribes in the storm’s path are reporting windy conditions and rain. Tribes and federal agencies are preparing for severe weather in Mississippi and Louisiana.

A Tropical Storm Warning has been issued for most of Louisiana. Rainfall is beginning to move in to north central portions of Louisiana. NOAA reports that sustained winds could range from 20-50 miles per hour with gusts up to 65-70 miles per hour. Possible tornados could spin off the tropical storm according to reports provided on NOAA weather radio WXJ96 (162.55 Mhz) in Louisiana.

The storm’s status and Tribal resources that are needed to endure Isaac have been updated during a mid-afternoon (Tuesday, August 29, 2012) conference call of the Tribal Assistance Coordination Group hosted by the United States Department of Interior Office Of Emergency Management, attended by USET member Tribes, Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana, Poarch Band of Creek Indians, Mississippi Band of Choctaw, Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, Jena Band of Choctaw, Tunica-Biloxi Tribe of Louisiana, and Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, USET Senior Project Coordinator for Tribal Emergency Mutual Aid Compact, and various federal agencies.

NOAA is predicting Isaac’s path to go through areas that will make an impact on the Coushatta, Chitimacha, Tunica Biloxi, and Jena Band of Choctaw. During today’s briefing, the status of the storm and Tribal needs were updated:

Jena Band of Choctaw- Lillie Williamson, Emergency Response Director, is reporting that Jena, Louisiana is getting small amounts of rain and 20 mile per hour winds (as of 4:30 PM Central Time). She made a request to the Tribal Coordination Assistance Group that the Tribe needed 10 generators to sustain senior citizens that had medical conditions. “Usually when the wind blows our power goes out. At this time that is the only need (generators) that I know until the storm gets here and we see what kind of results we are going to have,” Williamson states.

Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana- Don Aymond, Tribal Program Planner, says his area is experiencing 40-50 mile per hour winds and some significant rainfall. Shelters have been opened in the Parish but not necessarily with the Tribe. The storm is about 20-40 miles away (as of 4:30 PM Central Time). “The ground has been pretty well soaked before all of this (Hurricane Isaac) started. Our biggest problem has been getting water. There was a great difficulty to get water on Saturday and by Sunday it was all gone. Now the stores are getting more water. Unless something out of the ordinary happens, we think this storm will knock down trees and just cause us a lot of clean up,” Aymond told USET.

FEMA- Special Advisor for National Tribal Affairs U.S. Dept of Homeland Security Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Richard Flores is advising Tribes to contact their Tribal Liaisons. In Region Four contact Elisa Roper and Region Six to contact Norma Reyes.

US Department of Interior- Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services Division of Emergency Management’s Bill Wiley, National All-Hazards Emergency Manager says there is good open communication with all of the Tribes in the affected area. Wiley says there are resources on standby ranging from law enforcement to two-man boat rescue teams. Division Chief Patrick Vacha is on the scene working with Bureau of Indian Affairs mobile command to assist as the areas. BIA says it is monitoring the affected areas for direct activity from Isaac or in the surrounding regions for potential spin-off storms or tornados.

Flooding appears to be the consistent prediction among the emergency response personnel monitoring the storm. Tribal Program Planner for Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana, Don Aymond says flooding is one of his worries. NOAA weather radio say Flash Flood watches and warnings have been issued from 7PM Wednesday night (August 29, 2012) until 7PM Thursday night (August 30, 2012) with up to four inches of rain falling in certain areas in a short period of time.