MIAMI (Reuters) – Tropical Storm Isaac took aim at flood-prone Haiti on Friday but is not expected to become a hurricane until it churns into the Gulf of Mexico early next week, on a path that could see it make landfall anywhere from New Orleans to the Florida Panhandle.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) has had a tough time projecting the exact track and long-term intensity of the large and poorly organized storm, which has drawn close scrutiny because the Republican Party's presidential nominating convention begins on Monday in Tampa on Florida's Gulf coast.

The storm has been slow to strengthen and the NHC is no longer forecasting Isaac to rev up to hurricane force until long after it crosses Haiti, where thousands of people are still living in tents and makeshift shelters after a devastating earthquake more than 2-1/2 years ago.

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