Isaac lashes Haiti, expected to become hurricane as it nears Florida

The storm was heading toward eastern Cuba and forecasters said it poses a threat to Florida just as the Republican Party gathers for its national convention in Tampa. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said a hurricane warning is in effect for the Florida Keys and for the west coast of Florida from Bonita Beach south to Florida Bay

Local residents stay under the rain at the seafront of Enriquillo, southwestern Dominican Republic. AFP/AFP/Getty Images

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti -- Tropical Storm Isaac swept across Haiti's southern peninsula early Saturday, dousing a capital city prone to flooding and areas of the poor nation still trying to recover from the terrible 2010 earthquake.

The storm was heading toward eastern Cuba and forecasters said it poses a threat to Florida just as the Republican Party gathers for its national convention in Tampa. The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami said a hurricane warning is in effect for the Florida Keys and for the west coast of Florida from Bonita Beach south to Florida Bay.

Rocks, mud and other debris littered the streets of Port-au-Prince Saturday morning and the city was on high alert for potential flooding. But the worst of the storm has hit far from the capital.

It was unclear how many might have died to been injured. Communications are spotty in the country under normal circumstances.

Forecasters said Isaac could dump as much as eight to 12 inches (30 centimeters) and even up to 20 inches (51 centimeters) on Hispaniola, which is shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic, as well as produce a storm surge of up to 3 feet (0.9 meters).

Government and international aid groups in Haiti's capital had been prepared to evacuate several thousand people from settlement camps that sprang up after the 2010 earthquake. But the main threat appeared aimed at Les Cayes, a city of about 45,000 people on the southwestern coast.

Isaac was centered about 95 miles (150 kilometers) east-southeast of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, early Saturday, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph (95 kph).

Cuba declared a state of alert Friday for six eastern provinces, according to a Civil Defense announcement.

Cuba has a highly organized civil defense system that goes door-to-door to enforce evacuations of at-risk areas, largely averting casualties from storms even when they cause major flooding and significant damage to crops.

In the Dominican Republic, authorities evacuated about 3,000 people from low-lying areas but, as in Haiti, they encountered resistance. sent to government shelters.

Flooding was reported in Santo Domingo and Santiago but no reports of injuries.

Organizers of next week's Republican National Convention in Tampa were monitoring storm developments, and authorities said there were no plans to cancel the convention. (THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)