Isaac's projected path also shifted slightly east Friday afternoon as the system picked up some speed and strength. The National Hurricane Center said Isaac now boasts maximum sustained winds of 65 mph as it moves northwest at 16 mph south of Haiti and Cuba.
The Center, whose 5 p.m. advisory still shows Isaac approaching Florida as a tropical storm, cautioned that any change in the storm's path that allowed it more time over water could lead to intensification. If that happened, forecasters said, southern Florida could see cautions upgraded to hurricane warnings.
Isaac was about 100 miles SSE of Port-Au-Prince and 300 miles south of Guantanamo at 5 p.m. Friday. Forecasters say the center of the storm should make landfall in Haiti this evening before near or over central Cuba Saturday night.
Isaac is expected to approach Florida Sunday afternoon, likely bringing heavy rains even if skirting by: the system is large, with most of the wind and rain on its east side.
"It is important not to focus on the exact track because of forecast uncertainties and the fact that Isaac has a large area of tropical storm force winds associated with it," the NHC warned.
Those winds currently extend up to 185 miles outward from the center. A hurricane watch remains in place for Haiti while tropical storm warnings are in effect for the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Andros Island, Turks and Caicos, southeastern and central Bahamas, and parts of Cuba.
Florida Governor Rick Scott said Thursday night he has partially activated the state's Emergency Operations Center.
“Obviously, we are hoping Isaac doesn’t hit Florida, but we must take every precaution,” Scott said in a statement. “That’s what we’re doing on a state level, and it’s what everyone should be doing on a family and personal level. If you haven’t already, get prepared and get a plan.”
Projected rainfall over the next 120 hours, according to the National Weather Service's Hydrometeorological Prediction Center
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