Republicans brace for storm as convention nears

WASHINGTON - US Republicans are preparing for a possible disruption to their national convention next week, as tropical storm Isaac is projected to impact the Tampa, Florida, where the convention is to be held.

In a statement, Republican National Convention CEO William Harris said on Thursday the organizers of the convention is "in regular contact" with the National Weather Service, Governor Rick Scott of Florida and local emergency officials in an effort to " track and understand the potential impact of the storm."

Harris said the organizers "continue to move forward with our planning" to open the convention Monday in Tampa, as Scott and local emergency officials have assured them that the state has the resources in place to respond to this storm should it make landfall there.

Since becoming a tropical storm Tuesday, Isaac has been spinning to the west across the eastern Caribbean. It could reach hurricane status on Friday. Bands of rain and gusty winds are expected in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands Thursday into Friday as Isaac passes to the south. It could also threaten Florida next week.

Scott said earlier Thursday Isaac could potentially threaten the Republican National Convention, but convention officials would make the final decision regarding their schedule.

"Isaac is a unique storm in this regard, it has the potential to threaten a major convention, designated a special national security event," said Scott.

Scott also said he had directed state Emergency Operations Director Brian Koons to activate the state's Emergency Operations Center later Thursday, and said the possibility of a hurricane had been taken into account in the early planning stages for the convention.

The 2012 Republican National Convention will be held at the Tampa Bay Times Forum in Tampa, a city on the west coast of Florida, from August27-30.  Nearly 50,000 visitors are expected to come to the Tampa Bay area for the event, including delegates, journalists and other guests. Thousands of protesters are also expected to come. With a sudden increase in the number of visitors to Tampa, Isaac could bring a lot of problems if it comes near Tampa, said local officials.