MIAMI (CMC):
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has indicated that Tropical Storm Isaac could become a hurricane today, as it barrels down on the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
The NHC said that Isaac which is moving with “some erratic motion” towards the west near 12 miles per hour (mph) was expected to pass to the south of the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico late yesterday afternoon.
It said that the storm was expected to hit the Dominican Republic by last night and that while winds have decreased to near 40 mph, re-strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours.
A hurricane warning has been issued for all of Haiti, often hit by disastrous floods and mudslides, as well as for most of the southern coast of the Dominican Republic, which shares the island of Hispaniola with Haiti.
“Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion,” the NHC said.
The NHC said that total rainfall accumulations of four to eight inches are possible over the northern Windward and the Leeward Islands.
Isaac is also expected to dump up a significant amount of rain over Hispaniola, spelling trouble for the 400,000 Haitians still huddled in makeshift slums more than two years after the disastrous earthquake that killed more than 300,000 people.

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