Tropical Storm Isaac is already hitting the Florida Keys with rain and wind, and it may become an even stronger hurricane as it makes its way toward the northern Gulf Coast.
Isaac is expected to make landfall somewhere along the Gulf Coast by Tuesday or Wednesday â€" the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. That storm caused disastrous flooding all along the coast. A hurricane hasn't hit the Gulf Coast since Ike in 2008.
REPUBLICAN NATIONAL CONVENTION
Party officials are trying to cram four days of convention events and festivities into three as Isaac approaches. The storm is not expected to directly hit Tampa, but those in attendance â€" and especially those protesting outside â€" can expect to get wet.
AP
A person walks by a sign warning about Hurricane Isaac, in Key West, Fla., Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012. Isaac gained fresh muscle Sunday as it bore down on the Florida Keys, with forecasters warning it could grow into a dangerous Category 2 hurricane as it nears the northern Gulf Coast. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)
Close DAMAGE
Most of the damage down by Isaac so far has been in the Caribbean. At least seven people were killed by flooding in Haiti, including in tent cities filled with earthquake victims, and two others in the Dominican Republic. Isaac scraped Cuba, downing power lines and trees. As of early Sunday afternoon, the storm was just beginning to hit the Florida Keys and had done little damage aside from scattered power outages.
WHERE WILL IT HIT?
On Sunday afternoon, Isaac is expected to pass over the Florida Keys. From there, it will hit somewhere along the northern Gulf Coast.
Forecasters at the U.S. National Hurricane Center have warned that right now, it's extremely difficult to determine exactly where on the Gulf Coast Isaac will make a direct hit. But it is expected to gain significant strength over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, and is likely to become at least a Category 2 storm. And it is a massive system: Tropical storm conditions extend as far as 200 miles from the center, meaning even communities not in the direct path could get a lashing.
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