Fears as tropical storm strengthens

Tropical Storm Isaac gained fresh muscle today as it neared the Florida Keys, threatening to be at or near hurricane strength approaching the island chain.

Forecasters warned Isaac could grow into an extremely dangerous Category 2 hurricane on an expected track towards the northern Gulf Coast.

Isaac drew new strength during a warm-water crossing of the Florida Straits after causing weekend havoc in Cuba, where it downed trees and power lines, and after leaving four dead earlier in Haiti.

On Key West, locals followed time-worn rituals as they prepared for a lashing from Isaac, which swamped the Caribbean and changed plans for the Republican National Convention.

“Currently Isaac is a tropical storm that’s expected to become a hurricane as it reaches Key West… then it will move into the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to strengthen further,” said meteorologist Jessica Schauer at the US National Hurricane Centre in Miami.

“Our forecast is that as the system moves northward it is forecast to strengthen to a Category 2,” she said, adding an eventual landfall is expected on the northern Gulf Coast. “Definitely the northern Gulf Coast should be preparing for a hurricane right now.”

She said Isaac could make landfall on the northern Gulf Coast late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.

A Category 2 hurricane is capable of top sustained winds of 96-100 mph. But Ms Schauer cautioned that forecasts that far out in time are subject to greater uncertainty. Nonetheless she said a wide area of the northern Gulf Coast should be bracing for the threat.

Isaac was expected to be at or near hurricane strength by the time its centre reached the Keys later on Sunday, the hurricane centre said.

A hurricane warning was in effect for the Keys, including the west coast of Florida from Bonita Beach south to Ocean Reef, among some other areas, authorities said.

Meanwhile authorities said a hurricane watch has been issued from the mouth of the Mississippi River – not including the New Orleans metro area – eastward to Indian Pass, Florida.

A steady line of cars moved north along the Overseas Highway, the only road linking the Florida Keys, while residents boarded up windows, laid down sandbags and shuttered businesses ahead of the approaching storm.

When it hits, winds will be “enough to knock you over,” National Hurricane Centre spokesman Dennis Feltgen said.

The Keys were bracing for storm surge of up to four feet, strong winds and the possibility of tornados. The island chain’s two airports closed on Saturday night and volunteers and some residents began filing into shelters.

“This is a huge inconvenience,” said Dale Shelton, a 57-year-old retiree in Key West who was staying in a shelter.

The hurricane centre said the storm, which was swirling off the northern coast of Cuba overnight, was expected to move near or over the Florida Keys later in the day or Sunday night.

Isaac was then forecast to move over the south-east Gulf of Mexico on Monday. It was moving to the north-west towards the Keys.

Among the highest-profile potential targets of the storm was the Republican National Convention, set to begin Monday in Tampa. Forecast models show Isaac likely will not hit Tampa head-on, but it could have lashed the city with rain and strong winds just as the convention was ramping up. A tropical storm warning was extended north of Tampa Bay.

Convention officials said they would convene the convention briefly on Monday, then immediately recess until Tuesday afternoon, when the storm should have passed. Florida governor Rick Scott, a Republican, declared a state of emergency and cancelled his plans to attend convention events on Sunday and Monday.

Isaac has already left a trail of suffering across the Caribbean.

The storm’s centre made landfall on Saturday near the far-eastern tip of Cuba, downing trees and power lines.

At least four people were reported dead in Haiti, including a 10-year-old girl who had a wall fall on her, according to the country’s Civil Protection Office. The government also reported “considerable damage” to agriculture and homes.

Nearly 8,000 people were evacuated from their houses or quake shelters and more than 4,000 were taken to temporary shelters.

The Grise River in Haiti overflowed north of Port-au-Prince, sending chocolate-brown water spilling through the sprawling shantytown of Cite Soleil, where many people grabbed what possessions they could and carried them on their heads, wading through waist-deep water.

“From last night, we’re in misery,” said Cite Soleil resident Jean-Gymar Joseph. “All our children are sleeping in the mud, in the rain.”