Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands braced themselves for heavy rain on Thursday as Tropical Storm Isaac served waves up to 10 feet in height in the Caribbean and was on the verge of turning into a hurricane that could hit Florida just in time for Tampa's national convention.

In the eastern and southern regions of Puerto Rico, flooding has been reported as the storm continues. United States forecasters feel that Isaac will most likely become a Category 1 hurricane by Friday, as it gets closer to the Dominican Republic and Haiti. However, it was predicted to weaken a little bit upon going over parts of Cuba.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami now shows some forecast models showing Isaac heading further west into the Gulf of Mexico.

Isaac had been centered 165 miles south of Puerto Rico on early Thursday with maximum sustained winds of 40 mph. It was going west at 15 mph, also according to the NHC.

In response to the natural disaster, Puerto Rico has opened up 428 shelters and 50 individuals have taken refuge there thus far. It is said that roughly 7,800 people were left without power and over 3,000 without water.

Schools and government offices are currently closed Thursday in Puerto Rico, but the Governor stated it was safe to work only if need be.

Another tropical storm Joyce has formed over the eastern Atlantic. However, forecasters are stating that it doesn't pose an immediate threat as of yet.

CLICK HERE for up-to-date weather information on Hurricane Isaac.