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Subscribe to RSSFlorida's governor declares a state of emergency as residents and tourists flee Key West. Storm preparations are under way all along the Gulf Coast. NBC's Thanh Truong reports.
Updated at 6 p.m. ET: Tropical Storm Isaac was hugging the northern coastline of eastern Cuba on Saturday after claiming at least four lives in Haiti. Isaac should become a Category 1 hurricane on Sunday just as it nears the Florida Keys, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said, and then grow into an even stronger Category 2 storm with 100 mph winds.
Isaac "could be significantly stronger than currently forecast" once it enters the Gulf of Mexico, the center said in an advisory.
It will first sweep past southwest Florida and the Florida Keys, where "hurricane conditions are expected ... Sunday," it said in a separate update.
Republicans effectively cancel first day of convention
Isaac is a massive storm, with tropical storm-force winds extending 230 miles from the center. Key West International Airport was halting all flights at 7 p.m. Saturday until the storm had passed.
Tropical Storm Isaac is picking up steam as it barrels through the Caribbean. The Weather Channel's Mike Seidel reports on the storm's effects.
In Haiti, a woman and a child in the town of Souvenance were killed in the storm, a local official reported. A woman in the southern coastal city of Jacmel was crushed to death when a tree fell on her house, government officials said.
In the capital Port-au-Prince -- where some 350,000 people are still living in tents or shelters after the 2010 Haiti earthquake -- a girl, 10, was killed when a wall fell on her.
Power outages and flooding were reported as Isaac moved across the hilly and severely deforested Caribbean country.
"There's a lot of rain, a lot of wind," said Magdala Jean-Baptiste, who huddled with her frightened children in their home in the southern coastal city of Jacmel. "We haven't had any power since the storm started yesterday. We passed the night with no sleep."
Tropical Storm Isaac lashes the island of Hispaniola, killing at least three people in Haiti, where thousands still live in tents after an earthquake over two years ago. NBC's Mark Potter reports.
In neighboring Dominican Republic, Isaac felled power and phone lines and left at least a dozen towns cut off by flood waters. The most severe damage was reported along the south coast, including the capital Santo Domingo, where more than half the city was without power.
Cuba prepared by closing beaches and evacuating tourists in vulnerable areas, NBC's Mary Murray and The Weather Channel's Mike Seidel reported from Havana. Flights across Cuba were also suspended.
In Baracoa, a city on Cuba's eastern side, high seas began topping the seawall Friday night, Radio Baracoa reported.
Now with 60-mph winds, Isaac should exit Cuba on Sunday and then move south of the Florida Keys and into the Gulf.
Dieu Nalio Chery / AP
Residents wade through a flooded street in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Saturday.
Florida Gov. Rick Scott on Saturday declared a state of emergency to make sure local and state agencies would be ready. Republicans effectively canceled the first day of their national convention in Tampa, on Florida's central Gulf Coast, deciding to gavel it open on Monday, then immediately recess to some time on Tuesday.
Gulf of Mexico operators began shutting down offshore oil and gas rigs on Friday ahead of the storm.
Follow Isaac's path with our storm tracker
Live updates and analysis from weather.com
Tampa's weather forecast includes rain and high winds Sunday night and into Monday, The Weather Channel reported. The winds could gust up to 60 mph.
The Weather Channel's Bryan Norcross tracks Tropical Storm Isaac's movement and predictions about where it is headed.
Monday and Tuesday include a risk of tornadoes across south Florida.
Officials were handing out sandbags to residents in the Tampa area, which often floods when heavy rainstorms hit. Sandbags also were being handed out in Homestead, 20 years after Hurricane Andrew devastated the community there. Otherwise, however, convention preparations were moving ahead as usual.
Isaac's exact path is still unclear, but the hurricane center said models suggest it will make landfall somewhere between the Florida Panhandle and New Orleans on Tuesday night.
The storm's anticipated path did shift closer to the Keys than previously forecast and emergency managers urged tourists to leave the islands if they could do so safely. A single road links the chain of islands to the Florida Peninsula.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Walter Michot / AP
Tropical Storm Isaac rakes the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba as it makes its way toward Florida, where Tampa will be hosting the Republican National Convention.
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Leave a Comment:
Haiti is a mess! did this storm bow some of our money that Billy Clinton solicited back to us! hell no, Hollywood still needs to send more to Haiti, but Loony Clooney is sending our money to Darfur! we do not care about Haiti anymore, the Hollywood types have adopted Africa, NOT Haiti that is in our back yard, like Cuba! what hypocrisy! and Obama buys into it all, he cannot do anything about Blacks here or in Haiti, Detroit is not unlike Haiti! and NO MO Obama!
Haiti has always been a mess, and probably always will be. That's what you get when the vast majority of your population is indoctrinated, not educated.
Where are the idiot reporters out standing in the wind? Guess we have to wait until it can hurt them.
Where is Sean Penn? The self appointed king of Haiti. The legend in his own mind!
where oh where is Al Rocker!?
I wonder how much more money we will dump in that sheethole? Here she comes to save the day, we know that Hillllaaary is on the way. That was the Mighty Mouse theme song for all you young Demodrones. You old ones too.
Billy Clinton will be on TV soon asking for mo money! for the kids, but these poor devils will still be living in hell even if the Demonrats adopt them! the Progressive demonrats are the problem , not the solution.
Jhawke: Now who's "calling the kettle black"? From my observations, Republicans can be just as vehement & ugly (if not more so) in the names/labels they choose to call Democrats & more "liberal" thinkers. NOT all liberal "ideals" are based on emotion, many in fact, ARE based on logic & reason. The problem is that we are all too caught up at slinging insults at each other that we are choosing NOT to find a "Middle Way".
Unfortunately, there is a part of me that agrees w/ Dave T in "wishing" that Isaac slams into the convention center much they same way that Charlie decimated Port Charlotte in 2004. However, I LIVED thru Charlie, & Francis, & the 3 other storms that tore thru FL that year and am SO glad that I am back home in New England now for good. I left FL b/c I do not want to ever go thru that again plus the fact, that unlike VA where a 2.5 hr drive northwest gets you in the mountains & out of the path of storms heading to Norfolk, you have to go thru 5 to 6 states & drive for 2 to 3 days to get out of the way of most storms heading to hit FL 'cuz they will likely hit the border & surrounding states too.
I would hate to see Tampa have to deal w/ the destruction this storm could bring as that city was the very Best of hosts to the people from one large retirement center in PC when they were evacuated North & had to stay there for nearly a year while reconstruction & repairs were being done to a community I will only address by their initials - SPS. So before you are so quick out of the gate to constantly condemn Democrats & liberals do not forget it is the Republicans that gave us the failed "Reaganomics" & policies that allowed rampant greed in Wall Street. It is the Republicans that are making an all out war against women & want to roll back a woman's right to make decisions about her reproductive heath - be it birth control or abortion. A right to choose INCLUDES the option of NOT aborting as much as it offers the other. It's nobodies business, & especially NOT THE GOVERNMENTS business, but the woman herself, her physician & anyone else SHE chooses to include in the decision process such as her family, the "father" & maybe a religious advisor (of any faith group or 'denomination').
Why is it that Republicans are so quick to cry they want "government out of our business" and yet, they don't see how their limited, ill-informed, uneducated, & misogynist "ideals", oop I mean "policies" are threatening to subject an entire gender of American citizens to the exact scrutiny they so vehemently claim they want to remove from their lives. Isn't that a little hypocritical???? Ya think???
The last time I voted for a Republican was Ronald Reagan in 1980. I did not make that mistake a 2nd time, & while I view myself primarily as an "Independent", yet, I tend to vote & skew "Democrat". So far, their are ONLY 3 Republicans who have ever earned my respect. One is John McCain (probably our joint Navy 'connection'), former Ambassador John Huntsman (when I actually listened to him on Charlie Rose or poss. w/ Bill Moyers - his views were reasoned & logical, as well as, moderate) & Scott Brown here in Massachusetts. Whether I'll vote for Brown come Nov is still open for debate.
So, in "apology" for Dave T. & others' "similar" storm comments, & in atonement for my own "secret thought", I wish the Republicans a safe & efficient convention even though I abhor the candidate & running mate they will most likely nominate.
Karl is a member of trailer trash who, because he is "light brown & red & blotchy" believes he is better than people who are dark brown. Just so you know there are no "white" people anywhere in the word. If you find one, post the photo on the internet as this would be a biological miracle!!!!Wake up moron, this is 2012, not 1950, Smart people will not vote for this "white "moron Romneyhood !!!!They will vote for the person who has the interest of the country at heart & who just happens to be "black"!!! President Obama has the same red blood running through his veins as we all do you dunce. You & your king make me vomit!!!!!!
"White" Female Floridian Obama/Biden 2012
I would vote for Daffy Duck ( and he is black ) before I vote for Odummy.
xsmoron if you are old enough stop using medicare and social security they were done by Democrats Pay your own insurance
CHARGER12: I would stop paying into it tomorrow if I was allowed. Unfortunately I was never given an option, the government just seizes it from me. As for payout, nobody has any issue with that, the issue is with politicians who can't be trusted not to STEAL from the fund for other government hand-outs. Anything for a vote mentality is what has ruined this country. No problem with social programs if they are PAID FOR!!
Did they pull that number 3 out of a hat?
You can watch it here...not suppose to even hit Folrida directly. Hurricane Tacker NBC News
Drama Drama Drama
Are you believing Faux news look again
With are these flood, rain, storm, snow, fires. God is trying to tell everyone something. Wake up and stop blaming someone else for the weather. Stop talking so back about other countries, the storm is headed towards the USA. Stop the hate and be perpared to do what God wants all of to do. Help each other no matter the race. A rich person can lose everything also.
The crap the Republicans have pulled have angered the gods
I just want to hear who it is that God is punishing in Tampa during the GOP convention. Does the GOP have any members whom God dislikes? Is it the Log Cabin Republicans or perhaps members of a cult? Surely God has not misplaced his anger and sent a hurricane to Florida when he meant to send it to North Carolina. Pat Robertson where are you when we need you?
Aw Shucks you never achieved the American Dream. Go back to bed and get under the covers and I will have Barack come by to tuck you in and fleece you for your last dime
I hope when you retire you have to use the voucher system and when the price of insurance is about double of what Romney Hood will give you. Then you have a pre existing condition and they won't insure you. You think back that medicare that Obama supports would cover you Carl you need to get off the metanfetaminas
Hey Carl, I'm a 25-yr veteran (served with the USMC/USN), retired from a couple Silicon Valley corporations and now have devoted my life to teaching. I have lived the American Dream. If you ever bothered to pursue the truth you'd see that President Obama has the lowest growth of discretionary spending since Truman. He's been saddled with an unfunded prescription plan and a couple mismanaged wars W left him, not to mention the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. Since he's taken office he's managed to turn around the incredible job loss we'd experienced under Bush and its' been mostly positive since - while your Sen. McConnell pronounced his primary job is to prevent Obama's reelection. I don't think we need to relive the mess your ilk gave us from 2000-2008.
Haiti needs to get hit by a Killer Biblical Storm. Needs to be cleaned up real good. Let the water wash the filth of the earth away. It's about time these crap hole places get cleaned. Iran just got hit by a nice earthquake not too long ago as well. If we are lucky a volcano will erupt in Africa soon, they too can feel the burning cleanse.
This is clearly a hurricane generated by the democrats and their hero Fidel. It may be plot to take over Florida and the republican convention and nominate Castro. Well, at least we would have a commie running against a commie.
Did anyone see where The University Of Virgina "has declined President Obama’s request to speak on campus next week"? University spokesperson Carol Wood confirmed to the TV station that President Obama will not be speaking at the university.
Can not fool all the people all the time.
Ya Romney Hood too---Wood said the university would also have had to foot the bill for added security measures on campus and along the presidential motorcade route. Because of the school’s nonpartisan status, it would have to offer “the same accommodations and bear the same costs” for Mitt Romney, she said.
Right on plork
Start boarding your windows!
This storm will not make it to the gulf, it will dissipate over south Florida and be swept back into the Atlantic.
Look again
Quite WRONG! I pray you don't make your living predicting the weather.
Tropical storms become hurricanes when they reach 74 mph sustained winds. Why 74? GOD=7_4, whereas, G is the 7th letter, a circle can be 15 or zerO and D=4. 7/4=July 4th or 7 April 30 AD: Good(7__4) Friday when J10+E5+S19+U21+S19=74 the king(74) of the Judeans(74) - the Jewish(74) Messiah(74) - was on the C3+R18+O15+S19+S19=74. Assigning a number(74) to a letter is called Simple(6,74) English(7,74) Gematria(8,74) where words with similar sums have a connect(74) between(74) them. Y'shua(74)/Joshua(74)/IESVS(74) was born on 17/4/748 AUC (April 17, 6 BC).
Earth has 7 continents and 4 corners/4 seasons. ('7 seas' and) 4 oceans, 74% of the planet's surface is water. With the naked eye, the ancients could see 7 moving objects(74) in the heavens(74) and 4 don't cast shadows(74) on Earth. The lunar months(74) are 4 phases of 7 days (7.4 days). Lunar year + 7 day week + 4 days = solar year. Venus is .7 AU & Mercury .4 AU from the Sun. Human pregnancies are 40 weeks (7x40), etc.
~74% of the elemental mass of this universe is hydrogen. ~74% of everything in this universe is dark energy(74).
Now we see that GOD the Grand Architect of this Universe is real and why a T.S. becomes a hurri.(74) at 74 mph.
Go read your bible you missed something
Charger12,
I AM a Bible scholar. Just today, I edited a Wikipedia article to state, "'Selah' appears 74x in the Bible". It's a BIG code! In Genasis(74) 1:14, "The stars, moon, and Sun are to be signs" - this was the 4th day of 7. Genasis 7:4, "For in 7 days, it will rain for 40 days and 40 nights" - this is the first time the recurring #40 is introduced in the Bible. Noah's Ark was 50 cubits(74) or 74 feet wide. Moses - the Prince of Egypt - knew sacred geometry: "As above, so below" and encoded/aligned the 4th Commandment: "Keep the 7th day holy". Moses did the #40 7x! The Courtyard of the Tabernacle was 50 cubits/74' wide. Jesus(74) also knew the 'ancient mysteries', "On Earth as it is in the heavens(74)". The Revelation has its "7 seals & 4 horseman", etc.
GOD=7_4 is why Hurri.(74) Isaac becomes a hurricane at 74 mph.
Let's see what happens 40 days 40 nights
If it doesn't happen what will you say then twist things around
Come on Brad I have had 15 cans of beer lets talk
Charger12,
Are you an alcoholic? Two beers should suffice. Do you have someone that can help you with your problem? First thing you have to do is stop hanging out with other alcoholics.
You are invited on my forum
Just when I here the stupid things coming out of Republican mouths. Did you know a storm like this hit Florida during the end of the Bush Republican era and we all know they lost. Just history repeating it self
All these hate. I wonder what is going to happen if Obama gets elected? No matter what happens in the future, White people are going to be ruler of America, unless you self destroy. You know the reality, and there is no magic wand, and if you believe the bible, it says that God is the one that put the rulers and take them out.
Besides shutting down the convention the other good thing about the hurricane is it will help clean up the oil from the BP gulf oil spill.
As an Independent and long term Tampa Bay resident hoping everyone stays safe. I will be voting for Obama but we are all in the same boat and should be working to help the middle class create good jobs in this country. Not a fan of Rick Scott and the sooner he goes away the better.
Good post
Critical times hard to deal with, will be here.
A lot of wet teabags in Tampa on Monday. Gods wrath on the GOP will be evident. God does not like greedy,bigoted,self centered racists which describes the GOP and its supporters.
Tony(74),
"The Christian Right is neither"
"Choose GOD or GOP"
"Ronald(6 letters) Wilson(6) Reagan(6): '1st Beast' & George(6) Walker(6) Bush Jr.(6): '2nd Beast"
The GOP and especially Teabaggers wrote the book on hate and bigotry. The GOP convention will be 99% white males and a few of their Stepford wives.
i hope at this GOP convention they define: legitimate rape and what it entails,
Pray to God for help if your in this storm. What can it hurt? It has helped a man who was in the Haitian
earthquake. So don't underestimate the power of prayer.