9:20 AM | Latest on Isaac; still looks like a track from Cuba to the Florida Keys to the eastern and central Gulf of Mexico

Discussion

Isaac is still a tropical storm and will continue to churn through the Caribbean over the next 24 hours. Latest measurements have the winds sustained at 50 mph with gusts up to 60 as it continues on a westward track at 14 mph. Isaac should reach the southwestern part of the island of Hispaniola by early tomorrow. Isaac should then continue on a track towards Cuba likely crossing that island on Sunday. This track near or directly over these two islands over the next couple of days, Hispaniola and Cuba, should prevent substantial intensification in that time period. Latest indications to me continue to suggest that from this point Isaac will head towards the southern Florida Keys (early Monday) and then over the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico later Monday, and then it will likely wind up near the central Gulf coast (ie Florida Panhandle/Alabama/Mississippi) by the Tuesday/Wednesday time period. Once back over the warm waters of the Florida Straits and Gulf of Mexico following its departure from Cuba, Isaac will likely begin an intensification phase so all eyes from the Florida Keys to the Florida Gulf coast to the central Gulf coast should continue to closely monitor this situation over the next few days.