Rafael Becomes a Hurricane in the Atlantic

Rafael became a hurricane in the Atlantic on Monday and is expected to pass close to Bermuda late on Tuesday, Hurricane Center in Miami reports.

At 6:45pm on Monday, Rafael had maximum winds of 75 miles per hour and moving north at 10 miles per hour, about 560 miles south of Bermuda, where a tropical storm warning is in effect for the island. Right now at 8pm it’s strengthening and has maximum winds of 85 mph.

Rafael is the ninth hurricane of the 2012 season.

Source: National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Noe I. for Windows of the World.

Isaac Becomes a Hurricane in Gulf of Mexico; Moving Toward Louisiana

Isaac formed into a hurricane Tuesday afternoon as it continued moving over the Gulf of Mexico toward Louisiana, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

As of 11 a.m., Isaac had maximum sustained winds near 70 mph as it moved northwest at 10 mph about 80 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River and 165 miles south-southeast of New Orleans, Louisiana.

The center of Hurricane Isaac will be near of over the Louisiana coast Tuesday night or Wednesday, according to the NHC.

Gov. Rick Scott said Tuesday he remained concern about flooding in the Panhandle but was confident

Although Isaac’s approach on the eve of the Katrina anniversary invited obvious comparisons, the storm is nowhere near as powerful as Katrina was when it struck on Aug. 29, 2005. Katrina at one point reached Category 5 status with winds of more than 157 mph, and made landfall as a Category 3 storm.

Still, forecasters at the National Hurricane Center warned that Isaac, especially if it strikes at high tide, could cause storm surges of up to 12 feet along low-lying areas.

In a brief news conference from the White House Tuesday, President Barack Obama urged residents of the Gulf Coast to listen to local authorities and follow their directions as Tropical Storm Isaac approaches.

Obama told Gulf Coast residents, “Now is not the time to tempt fate. Now is not the time to dismiss official warnings. You need to take this seriously,” he said.

In the Big Easy on Monday, Mayor Mitch Landrieu did not activate a mandatory evacuation.  Instead, officials urged residents to hunker down and make do with the supplies they had.

Federal officials said the updated levees around New Orleans are equipped to handle storms stronger than Isaac.

The hurricane warning from the Mississippi-Alabama border eastward to Destin, Florida is now a tropical storm warning.

A hurricane warning was in effect for east of Morgan City, Louisiana to the Mississippi-Alabama border, including metropolitan New Orleans, Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas, while a hurricane watch was in effect for Intracoastal City to Morgan City.

A tropical storm warning was in effect for the Mississippi-Alabama border to Destin, Florida and Morgan City to Cameron, Louisiana. There was a tropical storm watch in effect for east of High Island, Texas, to just west of Cameron, Louisiana.

Meanwhile, in Tampa, the Republican National Convention was expected to start it’s first full day Tuesday, after Isaac forced organizers to delay most of the events on Monday.

NBC News Reports.

Isaac Location and Information as of August 25 11AM EST

As Tropical Storm Isaac swept across Haiti, at least three people were reported dead.

A woman and a child died in the town of Souvenance, Sen. Francisco Delacruz told a local radio station. A 10-year-old girl died in Thomazeau when a wall fell on him, said Marie Alta Jean-Baptiste, director of Haiti’s Civil Protection Office.

Meanwhile, the National Hurricane Center Saturday issued new watches and warnings for parts of Florida.

A tropical storm warning was extended northward along Florida’s east coast to Sebastien Inlet.

A tropical storm watch has been issued along Florida’s east coast north of Sebastien Inlet to Flagler Beach. Florida’s west coast north of Bonita Beach to Tarpon Springs is also under a tropical storm watch.

A hurricane warning was issued for the Florida Keys and the west coast of Florida from Bonita Beach southward, according to the National Hurricane Center.

A hurricane watch was issued for the Florida East Coast from Golden Beach Southward, the NHC said.

As of 11 a.m., Isaac was located about 40 miles east of Guantanamo, Cuba and 385 miles south-southwest of Nassau. The storm had maximum sustained winds at 60 mph and was moving northwest at 17 mph.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said tropical storm force winds from Isaac could begin in South Florida as early as tomorrow morning.

He urged residents Saturday to begin putting up their shutters, gather supplies and fill up their cars with gas.

“You should begin putting up your shutters now. Even tropical storm winds can cause damage so you shouldn’t wait until the last moment to protect your home,” he said.

Miami International Airport will remain open but some airlines could decide to cancel certain flights, Gimenez said. No word yet on whether schools will open Monday.

Monroe County began urging visitors Saturday to leave the Keys if they could but did not issue a mandatory evacuation. Shelters in Monroe will open at 2 p.m.

Meanwhile in South Florida, officials said residents should not let their guard down and begin preparing for the storm.

“Today is really the day when we need to start doing our preparations because by tomorrow, especially for mainland South Florida, at least by late tomorrow morning, we could already be starting to experience the first tropical storm winds,” Robert Molleda of the National Weather Service told NBC 6.

“It’s a pretty large storm,” Molleda said. “That tropical force wind field, even if the center passes over the lower Keys, Miami-Dade and Broward County will likely see some tropical force storm winds, probably for most of the day on Sunday.”

The center of Isaac is expected to move near or over eastern Cuba later Saturday. Forecasters expect Isaac to become a hurricane Sunday.

The storm brought heavy rain to Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Organizers of next week’s Republican National Convention in Tampa say they are monitoring the storm. Some 70,000 delegates, journalists and protesters are expected, and Florida Gov. Rick Scott said there are no plans to cancel the convention.

A hurricane watch remains in effect for Haiti. A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the Dominican Republic, parts of Cuba, The Bahamas and Lake Okeechobee.

A tropical storm watch remains in effect for parts of Cuba and Jamaica.

NBC 6 South Florida Reports.

Several injured by turbulence on American Airlines flight to Miami

Two flight attendants were hospitalized Tuesday and a handful of passengers treated for minor injuries after turbulence slammed into an American Airlines flight bound for Miami International Airport.

The Boeing 757 with 185-passengers onboard took off from Aruba for Miami at around 3:30 p.m., said American Airlines spokesman Matt Miller said.

Some 30 minutes from Miami, Flight 1780 experienced 15 seconds of severe turbulence. The jolting ride threw around the flight attendants and passengers.

The plane finally landed safely at 6:06 p.m. at MIA, where Miami-Dade Fire Rescue workers were waiting, Miller said.

The passengers were treated at the gate, and the two flight attendants were taken to local hospitals.

The Miami Herald Reports.

Champions; HEAT Dominates Thunder

The king finally has his crown. Two years ago, LeBron James chose to team up with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in Miami and build an instant basketball dynasty. The Heat fell two wins shy of beginning that reign in 2011. On Thursday, Miami’s rule over the NBA official started.

The decision is final: LeBron James made the right call coming to Miami.

Finally an NBA champion, it’s all worth it now.

James had 26 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists, and got the kind of help that was worth leaving home for, leading the Heat in a 121-106 rout of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night to win the NBA Finals in five games.

Best player in the game, best team in the league.

James has found it all since taking his talents to South Beach.

“It means everything,” James said moments after the win. “I made a difficult decision to leave Cleveland but I understood what my future was about … I knew we had a bright future (in Miami). This is a dream come true for me. This is definitely when it pays off.”

He left the game along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for good with 3:01 remaining for a round of hugs and the start for a celebration he’s been waiting for since arriving in the NBA out of high school as the No. 1 pick of the 2003 draft.

James hopped up and down in the final minutes, shared a long hug with opponent Kevin Durant, and watched the confetti rain down from the rafters.

The Heat took control in the second quarter, briefly lost it and blew it open again in the third behind their role players, James content to pass to wide-open 3-point shooters while the Thunder focused all their attention on him.

Bosh and Wade, the other members of the Big Three who sat alongside James as he promised titles at his Miami welcoming party two summers ago, both had strong games. Bosh, who broke down in tears as the Heat left their own court after losing Game 6 last year, finished with 24 points and Wade scored 20. The Heat also got a huge boost from Mike Miller, who made seven 3-pointers and scored 23 points.

The disappointment of losing to Dallas in six games last year vanished in a blowout of the demoralized Thunder, who got 32 points and 11 rebounds from Durant.

That made it easier for James, the most heavily scrutinized player in the league since his departure from Cleveland, when he announced he was “taking his talents to South Beach” on a TV special called “The Decision” that was criticized everywhere from talk shows and water coolers straight to the commissioner’s office. James has said he wishes he handled things differently, but few who watched the Cavaliers fail to assemble championship talent around him could have argued with his desire to depart.

He found in Miami a team where he never had to do it alone – though he reminded everyone during his sensational postseason run that he still could when necessary. He got support whenever he needed it in this series, from Shane Battier’s 17 points in Game 2 to Mario Chalmers’ 25 in Game 4.

In the clincher it was Miller, banged-up from so many recent injuries that he practically limps from the bench to scorer’s table when he checks in. He made his fourth 3-pointer of the half right before James’ fast-break basket capped a 15-2 run that extended Miami’s lead to 53-36 with 4:42 remaining in the first half. James had 15 points, five rebounds and five assists at halftime, with the Heat ahead 59-49.

Durant added 11 rebounds for the Thunder, who made a remarkably early trip to the NBA Finals just three years after starting 3-29. With Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and James Harden all 23 or younger, the Thunder have the pieces in place for a lengthy stay atop the Western Conference.

But their inexperience showed in this series, a few questionable decisions, possessions and outright mistakes costing them in their franchise’s first playoff appearance since Seattle lost to Chicago in 1996. Westbrook scored 19 but shot only 4 of 20, unable to come up with anything close to his 43-point outing in Game 4, and Harden finished a miserable series with 19.

Nothing they done could have stopped James, anyway.

Read more of this story on MSNBC Sports.

Florida Man Sets Woman On Fire, Captured On Video

A Florida man who was seen setting fire to the mother of his child on a 7-Eleven surveillance video was denied bail today.

Roosevelt Mondesir, 52, is charged with attempted first-degree murder. The harrowing moments of what was supposed to be a simple custody exchange of the couple’s 4-year-old son were captured Monday on the security camera at the Boynton Beach gas station.

Watch the video at ABC News Miami Affiliate

The woman, who police are not identifying, was seen pulling into the 7-Eleven in her silver Mercedes. Police would not say what the was relationship between the couple.

Mondesir then pulled into the station in his white Jaguar, without their child. When the woman realized her son was not in the car, she tried to leave.

Mondesir then threw “gasoline on her vehicle and her body,” according to police.

“The victim began to run from the defendent, but was chased down at which point the defendant threw fire onto the victim and she became engulfed in flames,” the charging document stated.

The woman, 34, began to put the fire out and remove her shirt when she realized Mindesir had a long knife, possibly a machete, she told police.

The victim ran from her attacker and took refuge inside the convenience store. The two engaged in a tug-of war with the door while 7-Eleven staff called police.

“This is 7-Eleven. We have a problem. We have some fight and fire,” the female employee said.

The victim can be heard crying and yelling in the background, “It hurts. It hurts. It hurts.”

Read more of this story on ABC News.

American Airlines Flight Returns to Miami International Airport After Bird Strike on Thursday

An American Airlines flight headed for Cali, Colombia returned to Miami International Airport after a possible bird strike during its takeoff Thursday afternoon, airport officials said.

American Airlines confirmed shortly before 7 p.m. that it was indeed a bird strike, but mechanics determined the impact was small and that the plane is safe to fly, NBC News reported.

Flight 921 had 161 people on board.

No injuries have been reported.

Stay with NBCMiami.com and NBC 6 for updates.

Do you follow WOTW on Facebook and Twitter?

WINDOWS OF THE WORLD lets you know stories about what’s happening in your favorite cities,

See how the World Trade Center rises again,

& get daily weather for the City of New York, Miami, Buenos Aires, London, Rio de Janeiro, Paris, Chicago & Los Angeles.

Like us on FACEBOOK Follow us on TWITTER for instant weather, breaking news, traffic updates and more.

BERYL Path and information for the next 24 hours.

Miami Commission to consider Watson Island heliport, to draw tourists

Ten years have passed since the city of Miami accepted Paul Dudley’s bid to build a public heliport on Watson Island.

On Thursday, the two parties may finally ink the deal.

The city commission will consider approving a 30-year lease between the Miami Sports and Exhibition Authority and Dudley’s company, New Jersey-based Linden Airport Services.

If it gets the green light, Linden will be charged with developing, building and operating a facility to be called the Watson Island Aviation and Visitors Center.

City officials envision the heliport becoming a hub of tourist activity.

“Miami is a beautiful city,” Commissioner Francis Suarez said. “You want to have a place where tourists can come, get in a helicopter, see the city, see the Everglades.”

But some critics allege the city has cut a sweetheart deal with the heliport operator, and ought to collect more in rent than the amount being proposed. The contract calls for Linden to invest $1.45 million in the infrastructure, plus pay a minimum rent of $2,200 a month or a percentage of gross revenues for the first two years. The payments increase annually.

“The amount of money we’re getting under this agreement is absurdly low,” said Nathan Kurland, a board member of the semi-autonomous Sports and Exhibition Authority, known as MSEA. “We keep talking about how the city of Miami needs money. But every time we deal with waterfront property, we deal with it like an infectious disease. We want to get rid of it as quickly and cheaply as possible.”

Miami is one of a handful of major cities without a heliport. Watson Island has had a helicopter landing pad in the past, but it hasn’t been open for several years. Most helicopters end up at Opa-locka Executive Airport or Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport.

The city of Miami first asked for bids to develop a 2.4-acre heliport facility on Watson Island in August 2002. Dudley answered the following month.

Read more of this story on The Miami Herald.