As Tropical Storm Isaac plows west across the Atlantic at 21 mph, hurricane watches have been put into effect across the Caribbean, while officials in Tampa, Florida prepare to endure what is left of the storm when it skirts across the city's coastline next Monday.With maximum sustained winds of 45 mph, the tropical storm is predicted to become a hurricane by Friday. What follows is a day-by-day set of forecasts of Isaac's movements. Please note that these forecasts are subject to change, depending on the behavior of the tropical storm.
Thursday
Areas Affected: Puerto Rico
The Forecast: Isaac is predicted to pass through south of Puerto Rico on Thursday. Governor Luis Fortuno has declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard. On Thursday night, Isaac is expected to near the coast of Hispaniola, which is located next to Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The U.S. military is also evacuating non-essential staff from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba on Thursday.
Friday
Areas Affected: Hispaniola, Haiti, Dominican Republic
The Forecast: Isaac will move west-northwest across the island that Hispaniola, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic share. This poses a particularly severe problem for Haiti, due to the enhanced risk of mudslides in the region.
Saturday
Areas Affected: Cuba
The Forecast: Isaac is thought to weaken from a hurricane to a tropical storm once again as it moves over Cuba during both Saturday and Sunday.
Sunday
Areas Affected: Tampa, Florida
The Forecast: Although weather experts are uncertain where exactly Isaac will head after Cuba, some computer models forecast the storm returning to hurricane strength and arriving in South Florida "by late Sunday or early Monday."
Monday
Areas Affected: Tampa, Florida
The Forecast: Potentially arriving in Tampa the day of the Republican National Convention, there has been concern about potential evacuation measures. However, Hurricane expert Jeff Masters only "put[s] the odds of an evacuation during the convention in the current situation at 3 percent." Tampa's Mayor Bob Buckhorn reassured CNN that the state was ready for whatever may come. "We're watching it. We're tracking it. I think we're going to be OK but we'll be prepared in the event that it heads this way," the Mayor said.
Isaac will not be the last storm to afflict the Atlantic. Reuters reports that "another tropical depression formed over the eastern tropical Atlantic on Wednesday, about 860 miles west-southwest of the Cape Verde Islands. It was packing winds of 35 mph and will take the name Joyce if it becomes a tropical storm."
Be sure to regularly check the National Hurricane Center's site for new public advisories.
Tropical Storm Isaac Organizing Itself
Source: Reuters.
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