PHOENIX, LA (August 29, 2012) – Water from Hurricane Isaac surged over an 18-mile stretch of levee on the east coast of Plaquemines Parish destroying an undetermined number of homes, officials there said this morning.

It is unknown whether any lives or homes have been lost in Phoenix, the tiny community Covenanters helped rebuild following Hurricane Katrina. Residents had been ordered to evacuate.

The U.S. Hurricane Center said early this morning that Isaac remained a Category 1 hurricane with top sustained winds of 80 mph.

Parish president Billy Nungesser told CNN this morning, “We’ve got a serious situation over there. Not only did we see the worst case scenario, it got worse than that by this storm just stalling.”

Nungresser, who lost part of his roof to the storm, also said he had heard reports of water rising 12 feet in some homes. “This is something I’ve never seen before,” Nungresser said. “And I rode out Katrina.”

The levee is not part of the New Orleans system.