President Obama kept his advice for Gulf residents short and sweet in a press conference today, which came complete with one line that nearly all media outlets are seizing on: "Now is not the time to tempt fate." He made that along with a few other comments at the White House, following a briefing by Janet Napolitano and FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate.
- "I encourage all residents of the Gulf Coat to listen to local officials and follow their directions, including if they tell you to evacuate. We're dealing with a big storm. Now is not the time to tempt fate, and now is not the time to dismiss official warnings. You need to take this seriously."
Obama had earlier declared a state of emergency in Louisiana. Meanwhile, Isaac gets nearer to hurricane status, per the National Hurricane Center's Twitter feed. Its latest tweet reads: "Tropical Storm # Isaac Intermediate advisory 29A issued. Reconnaissance aircraft find isaac nearly a hurricane" (Read more President Obama stories.)