Florida state officials say they are closely monitoring Tropical Storm Isaac's path as the state prepares to host the Republican National Convention in Tampa.
With Isaac on track to make landfall in Florida on Monday authorities have not ruled out the possibility of postponing or relocating the Republican convention, if the storm takes direct aim at the city on Florida's central Gulf Coast.
Governor Rick Scott said he was confident the state was prepared to deal with a hurricane, but said the decision to move the four-day convention would be made by the Republican party.
Mr Scott said he was holding briefings twice a day with state and federal officials to make sure they had the latest information on the storm which is expected to turn into a hurricane.
He also urged residents to stock supplies to last over a 72-hour period.
Tropical Storm Isaac weakened slightly as it dumped heavy rain off Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands on Thursday, but it was expected to strengthen into a hurricane before tearing across the Dominican Republic and Haiti, US forecasters said.
Most computer forecast models early on Thursday had shifted west from a day earlier and showed Isaac skirting across the north coast of Cuba before cutting across the Keys island chain and southern tip of Florida on Monday.
It was then likely to make landfall in the Florida Panhandle, in the northwest corner of the state.
Florida has not been hit by a major hurricane since 2005 and forecasts showed Isaac was not expected to strengthen beyond a weak Category 1, with top sustained wind speeds of about 80mph.
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