pushed over Cuba on Saturday after sweeping across Haiti’s southern peninsula, where it caused flooding and at least four deaths, adding to the misery of a poor nation still trying to recover from the terrible 2010 earthquake.

Isaac’s centre made landfall just before midday near the far-eastern tip of Cuba, downing trees and power lines. In the picturesque city of Baracoa, the storm surge flooded the seaside Malecon and a block inland, destroying two homes.

Forecasters said Isaac poses a threat to Florida Monday and Tuesday, just as the Republican Party gathers for its national convention in Tampa. It could eventually hit the Florida Panhandle as a Category 2 hurricane with winds of nearly 160 km/h.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency, officials urged vacationers to leave the Florida Keys and the U.S. National Hurricane Center said a hurricane warning was in effect there, as well as for the west coast of Florida from Bonita Beach south to Ocean Reef and for Florida Bay.

At least four people were reported dead in Haiti, including a 10-year-old girl who had a wall fall on her, according to the country’s Civil Protection Office. There were no immediate details on how the others died.

The government also reported two injuries, “considerable damage” to agriculture and homes, the evacuation of nearly 12,000 people.

The Grive River overflowed north of Port-au-Prince, sending chocolate-brown water spilling through the sprawling shantytown of Cité Soleil, where many people grabbed what possessions they could and carried them on their heads, wading through waist-deep water.

“From last night, we’re in misery,” said Cité Soleil resident Jean-Gymar Joseph. “All our children are sleeping in the mud, in the rain.”

Scores of tents in quake settlements collapsed, including more than 50 in Cité Soleil, forcing people to scramble through the mud to try to save their belongings.

About 300 homes in Cité Soleil lost their roofs or were flooded a metre deep, according to Rachel Brumbaugh, operation manager for the U.S. non-profit group World Vision.

Doctors Without Borders said it anticipated a spike in cholera cases due to flooding and it was preparing to receive more patients.

The international airport reopened by the afternoon but there was still extensive flooding throughout Port-au-Prince after 24 hours of steady rain.

Forecasters predicted the storm would likely march up through the Gulf of Mexico and approach the Florida Keys on Sunday, then continue north off the state’s west coast as a hurricane on Monday, just as the Republican National Convention is scheduled to start.

Tampa is within the tropical storm watch zone, meaning forecasters believe tropical storm conditions are possible there within the next 48 hours.

Gov. Scott said during a media briefing that delegates were being told how to stay safe during a storm. Officials are ready for storm surge, bridge closures and other problems that could arise during the convention.

After hitting land near the easternmost tip of Cuba on Saturday, Isaac’s centre spent just a few hours over the island before re-emerging into the water, where it was expected to pick up strength.

On Saturday afternoon, the storm was centred about 195 kilometres) east of Camaguey, Cuba, with maximum sustained winds of 95 km/h, the Hurricane Center reported. It was moving northwest along the Cuban coastline at 33 km/h.

Tropical storm-force winds extended nearly 335 kilometres from the centre, giving Isaac a broad sweep as it passed.

In Baracoa, authorities cut off electricity as a preventive measure. Civil defence officials patrolled the streets and told onlookers to be careful as they gawked at the powerful surf kicked up by the storm. Waves crashing against the seawall sent spray high into the air and deposited rocks and other debris on land.

Dariel Villares and a cousin who lives next door lost their seaside homes.

“A high wave came and knocked down both walls: mine and my cousin’s,” Villares said. “Now we’re removing everything of value.”

There were no reports of fatalities, Red Cross worker Javier de la Cruz said.

Flooding was reported in low-lying coastal areas and 230 people were in emergency shelters, according to state TV.

Far to the west, the Sol Cayo Coco beach resort moved guests out of ground floor rooms. Intermittent rains and gusty winds buffeted Havana, 900 kilometres away.

Cuba has a highly organized civil defence 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.

Near the island’s southeastern tip, the U.S. military suspended ferry service at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base and bunked guards inside prison facilities, but operations were returning to normal by late afternoon.

“The bad weather did not materialize here as tropical storm Isaac turned away,” Navy Capt. Robert Durand said.

Authorities in the Dominican Republic evacuated nearly 7,800 people from low-lying areas, and at least 10 rural settlements were cut off by flooding, according to Juan Manuel Mendez, director of rescue teams. Power was knocked out in parts of the capital, Santo Domingo.

There were no reports of injuries, but 49 homes across the country were destroyed.

Authorities discontinued a tropical storm warning, but rainfall was expected to reach up to 30 centimetres over the weekend.

“We still have a big cloudy area over the island that will produce lots of rain (until Sunday afternoon),” said Francisco Holguin of the local meteorological agency.

Source: thestar.com