Tropical Storm Isaac forces GOP to scrap first day of convention

Volunteers carried in supplies at shelters throughout the Keys. On Duval Street, the famed tourist strip in Key West, many shops were boarded up. Bands of light rain moved through and passersby crowded under umbrellas and wore ponchos and slickers.

"The weather sucks, but on Tuesday it'll be nice," said an optimistic Kelly Calhoun, a 30-year-old speech therapist at the start of a weeklong vacation to Key West with family. "We got all the essentials: booze and food."

Yet the storm was days away from the Florida Panhandle. It was sunny and breezy on the beach Saturday in Pensacola, with people out strolling and playing in the sand. Condo associations told people to move furniture inside, but full-scale preparations hadn't yet begun. Waves weren't yet big enough for surfers.

When the storm hits, strong winds will be "enough to knock you over" and produce severe thunderstorms, National Hurricane Center spokesman Dennis Feltgen said.

Storm surge and tornadoes also are possible when Isaac hits, and winds could topple power lines and lead to lengthy power outages, Feltgen said. The Panhandle already has had a wet summer, so potential flooding was especially possible there.

Associated Press Writers Suzette Laboy in Miami, Tony Winton in Marathon, Matt Sedensky in Key West and Gary Fineout in Tallahassee contributed to this report.