Leslie’s movement, however, is not consistent. NHC is predicting a “slow northward motion which may be erratic at times … over the next couple of days”. She is moving slower than previously reported on LALATE. Now Leslie is only shifting at three miles per hour. But her sustained winds are not decreasing. Those have grown to sixty-five mile per hour winds.

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The same is true elsewhere across south Florida today. But while Isaac still remains a tropical storm, it will increase to hurricane status as it nears Key West Sunday, officials tell news. After reaching Key West, Isaac will further intensify, passing through the Gulf of Mexico, the NHC tell news.

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How strong will Isaac get? The National Hurricane Center is advising news today that Isaac will become a Category 2 Hurricane, at least by Tuesday. In fact, Isaac will reach its greatest strength as it reaches the northern Gulf Coast, officials tell news. With a category 2 hurricane status, Isaac could bring to northern Gulf communities winds in excess of one hundred miles per hour.

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Hurricane Isaac is expected to reach the Florida Keys Sunday evening. Isaac is expected to be over central Florida Tuesday and then reach the northern Gulf communities on Wednesday. But in a news briefing this morning, NHC issued a a hurricane watch for east of Morgan City, Louisiana to Indian Pas, Florida, including New Orleans. A hurricane warning, however, remains in effect for the Florida Keys. A warning is also in place for Bonita Beach southward to Ocean Reef. In contrast, a tropical storm watch has been extended for Florida’s east coast north of Sebastian Inlet to Flagler Beach, officials tell news.

NHC tell news that a hurricane watch governs activity within the next forty-eight hours. In contrast, a hurricane watch covers activity in the next twenty-four hours.

Within the last hour, officials have issued mandatory evacuation orders for Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Meantime, Shell is shutting down operations and evacuating platforms in Gulf of Mexico because of the storm’s anticipated arrival on Monday.

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Isaac could stay across the Florida Keys from Sunday morning to the end of Monday, the NHC tells news. As a result, officials report that Key West International Airport and Marathon Airport are closing today, Saturday, at 7 pm EST. The airports will remain closed until further notice.

Monroe County has set up a hurricane hotline phone number and website for residents. The number is 1-800-955-5504 or online at monroecounty-fl.gov.

Evacuation shelters are opening at 2pm EST Saturday for Key West High School, Sugarloaf School, Coral Shores High School in Plantation Key and Stanley Swiftly School in Marathon, NBC is reporting. At 3 pm Saturday, the Snake Creek Bridge will close.

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Gov. Rick Scott has issued a state of emergency. “That’s standard protocol to make sure we can coordinate our efforts with federal, state and local so we can have the proper response,” he said in an news statement today. The storm is currently passing over Guantanamo, Cuba Saturday and heading to southwest Nassau.

When Isaac arrives in Florida, he will be a Category 1 Hurricane with winds upwards of 95 mph, officials tell news. But what will happen with Florida? And will Isaac only impact southwest Florida?

In a news briefing Saturday at 11 am EST, the NHC is advising residents that all of South Florida, from Miami to Naples, will be impacted in some form by Hurricane Isaac. The impact, however, will be greatest on the western side of Florida.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez told news that residents should begin preparations for Saturday through Monday. “You should begin putting up your shutters now. Even tropical storm winds can cause damage so you shouldn’t wait until the last moment to protect your home”. Gimenez, however, said that no schools or public transportation are currently closed. Miami International Airport remains open.

On Saturday, the NHC issued a tropical storm warning for Florida’s East Coast, north of Sebastian Inlet to Flagler Beach. A tropical storm warning means that major storm conditions could arrive in the area within the next thirty-six hours, namely between Saturday and Monday. A hurricane watch, in contrast, was issued for the Florida Keys and the west coast of Florida from Bonita Beach southward. A hurricane watch, in turn, means that hurricane conditions could happen between Saturday and Monday. For continuing coverage of Hurricane Isaac, click HERE.

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For Friday, the concern initially remains the residents of Haiti. Nearly a half million residents, who lost their homes in the deadly earthquake two years ago, live in a tarp city. They tell news that are refusing to leave their tarp homes, despite the arrival of Isaac today. Haiti Prime Minister Laurent Lamothe is advising residents to prepare accordingly. He has designated evacuation facilities. But local news is reporting that residents are not agreeing to leave their homes. “The risks are obvious in terms of flooding of low-lying areas,” said Jean-Michel Vigreux, director for CARE International in Haiti.

But what will happen to Florida? The National Hurricane Center out of Miami is in consensus with other weather news agencies that Isaac will pass toward the western, southern tip of Florida and move northerly, starting Sunday. That is causing concern for Tampa.

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Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn tells news that the Republican National Convention, scheduled to start Monday, is happening just as Isaac passes through central Florida. Buckhorn tell news that he has multiple contingency plans in place if in fact Isaac impacts Tampa. Florida Gov. Rick Scott confirms the same to news. Convention CEO William Harris tells news, however, that “We continue to move forward with our planning and look forward to a successful convention.”

In a news briefing this morning from Miami, the National Hurricane Center said that that hurricane watch for Friday covers Haiti. The NHC also tells news that “interests in the remainder of Cuba …. the Bahamas, South Florida, and the Florida Keys should monitor the progress of Isaac.”

But for Thursday, the concern is first Puerto Rico. The NHC tell news that “tropical storm conditions are expected over portions of Puerto Rico and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands today [Thursday].” But while Puerto Rico will get tropical storm conditions on Thursday, the Dominican Republic will get hurricane conditions on Friday. “Hurricane conditions are expected over portions of the Dominican Republic by Friday and over portions of Haiti Friday or Friday night”, officials tell news.

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After Haiti, Hurricane Isaac 2012 will head to the Southern Bahamas and the Turks and Caicos Islands late Friday August 24, the NHC reports to news. The storm has passed over Leeward Islands today. But dangerous surf and rip tide elevations will exist across that region through the weekend. Also impacted today will be the Winward Islands.

But officials warn news that Puerto Rico will have bad surf and rip current, not just Thursday, but the next few days. Residents are being warned across the impacted region to stay away from coastal regions. There, surf levels could jump to at least five feet higher than average levels as Hurricane Isaac passes. Officials deem the situation as featuring “dangerous waves”.

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