Florida Keys braced for blast from strengthening storm

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 seven dead 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.

She said Isaac could make landfall late tomorrow night or early Wednesday morning.

A Category 2 hurricane is capable of top sustained winds of 96-100 mph.

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.

The Keys were bracing for a 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.

The Republican National Convention, set to begin today in Tampa will open and then immediately adjourn until tomorrow when the storm is expected to have passed, officials said.

Isaac left at least seven people dead in Haiti, including a 10-year-old girl who had a wall fall on her, according to the country’s Civil Protection Office. Nearly 8,000 people were evacuated and children were said to be sleeping in mud and rain.