NBC's meteorologist Bill Kearns has Isaac's latest trek.
By NBC News staff and wire reports
Updated at 5:41 p.m. ET: Isaac lashed south Florida with strong winds and heavy rain on Sunday after battering the Caribbean, and officials said the tropical storm could?strengthen?into a hurricane by midweek as it heads toward the Gulf Coast.
Emergency management and law enforcement officials in Key West ordered visitors and residents to remain indoors as the storm moved through the island chain. ?You?ve chosen to remain in the Keys during this storm and the only safe place for you to be is indoors,? said Monroe County Emergency Management Director Irene Toner. ?Stay off roads and don?t go outside.?
Isaac caused weekend havoc in Cuba, where it downed trees and power lines. Before that, Isaac was blamed for seven deaths in Haiti.
Isaac was still a tropical storm Sunday evening with 60 mph winds as it moved past the Florida Keys and headed into the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico.?Forecasters warned that Isaac could be upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane ? capable of sustained winds of 96-100 mph ? as it hits the northern Gulf Coast somewhere between Florida and Louisiana later this week.
In Louisiana, Gov. Bobby Jindal declared a state of emergency and?urged residents in low-lying areas of several southeastern parishes to voluntarily leave ahead of the storm. He said mandatory evacuations could be ordered on Monday.?The governor also activated 4,000 National Guard troops and informed?other states that Louisiana might need assistance if hit by Isaac.
New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu declares a state of emergency for the city of New Orleans in advance of Tropical Storm Isaac.
"We?re all going to err on the side of being overprepared," Jindal said. He added that he may skip his speaking engagement at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., this week if his state is still threatened by the storm.
In the city of New Orleans, which was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina seven years ago,?Mayor Mitch Landrieu also declared a state of emergency.?"I'll remind everybody that we thought Katrina would be a wind and rain event," Landrieu said.
The National Hurricane Center on Sunday evening discontinued a hurricane warning for the Florida Keys and west coast of Florida, but issued a hurricane warning hurricane for the northern Gulf of Mexico coast from the New Orleans area to the Florida Panhandle.
In South Florida, three people were killed in two separate crashes due to wet roads,?reported NBC News affiliate NBCMiami.com. The first crash involved a head-on collision, which killed both drivers, and in the second, the car plunged into a canal and the driver drowned, officials said.
Related:?Follow Isaac's path with our storm tracker
Related:?Live updates and analysis from weather.com
Dr. Rick Knabb, director of the National Hurricane Center, said forecast models ?can drive us nuts sometimes? but they play an important role for guidance.
The Florida Keys know what to expect from a big storm, and they're getting ready. Tourists have been warned to get out of town.
?It?s still very uncertain where the center of Isaac will come ashore in its final landfall in the northern Gulf,? Knabb told the Weather Channel on Sunday, ?and that can make all the difference as to who gets the strongest winds, who gets the strongest storm surge.
?Gradually, we?re seeing (Isaac?s) inner core develop. We?re certain it?s going to be a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico,? Knabb said.
Cancellations and shutdowns
The Republican Party said it would recess its national convention in Tampa for a day out of safety concerns as the storm bore down. Republicans, who will formally nominate Mitt Romney as their presidential candidate for the November election, will briefly convene their four-day meeting on Monday, then recess until Tuesday.?
Related: Republicans effectively cancel first day of convention?
Gulf of Mexico oil operators braced for the first hurricane to affect the U.S. oil patch in 2012. Officials said the storm could shut down more than half of U.S. offshore oil output. Isaac's more westerly expected track brings it closer to the heart of the U.S. offshore oil patch, which produces about 23 percent of U.S. oil output and 7 percent of its natural gas output
Airlines are preparing for Isaac?s impact on Florida by waiving fees for changes and refunds for flights into and out of south Florida. Additionally, airlines on Sunday canceled most of south Florida operations.
Key West airports were closing Sunday night and most operations in and out of Miami and Fort Lauderdale were canceled until noon Monday, according to FlightAware.com. Airlines are not expecting long-term impact in Florida from the storm and should be operating normally by late Monday once airplanes, crew and staff are back in position.?
More than 740 flights to, from and within the United States were canceled Sunday in preparation for Isaac, with the bulk of the cancellations at Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
Meanwhile, the Sunday night performance of classic rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd at Tampa?s American Action Network Pavilion at Liberty Plaza was canceled over safety concerns.
Alan Diaz / AP
Tropical Storm Isaac rakes the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba as it makes its way toward Florida.
Old hat for locals
Key West locals followed time-worn storm preparedness rituals while awaiting the storm.
On Saturday, a steady line of cars moved north along the Overseas Highway, the only road linking the Florida Keys. Residents boarded up windows, laid down sandbags and shuttered businesses ahead of the approaching storm. Even Duval Street, Key West's storied main drag, was subdued for a weekend, though not enough to stop music from playing or drinks from being poured.
"We'll just catch every place that's open," said Ted Lamarche, a 48-year-old pizzeria owner visiting Key West to celebrate his anniversary with his wife, Deanna. They walked along on Duval Street, where a smattering of people still wandered even as many storefronts were boarded up and tourists sported ponchos and yellow slickers.
"Category None!" one man shouted in a show of optimism.
Related:?Weather Channel slideshow: The Wrath of Isaac
The Keys were bracing for storm surges of up to four feet, strong winds and the possibility of tornadoes. The island chain's two airports closed Saturday night, and volunteers and some residents began filing into shelters.
"This is a huge inconvenience," said Dale Shelton, a 57-year-old retiree in Key West who was staying in a shelter.
The Associated Press, Reuters and NBC's Isolde Raftery contributed to this report.
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