Area hospitals, emergency crews, and residents prepare for a possible hurricane during the RNC

TAMPA, Fla. - Though Tropical Storm Isaac's path is still uncertain, emergency response crews are mobilizing for what they call their "worst-case scenario" -- a hurricane during the RNC.

"We always take the worst-case scenario and that's what we prepare for on a daily basis," explained Red Cross Spokeswoman Janet McGuire.

McGuire says the Red Cross is readying for the possibility that Isaac will turn the RNC into a crowd of evacuees, calling in support groups from across the country.

"Make sure that we have enough cots, blankets, comfort kits," McGuire explained.

Alert Tampa ( http://www.tampagov.net/dept_police/programs_and_services/alert_tampa.asp ) gives real time updates on evacuations across the Tampa Bay area, just type in an address.

Tampa Bay Boulevard Elementary could become Hurricane Shelter 58. It would be open for RNC guests as well as local residents like Davis Island homeowner, Lisa DeVitto, who lives in the heart of an evacuation zone and just a channel away from the RNC event zone.

DeVitto's street is often plagued by high water, even after an average summer day of afternoon storms.

"Some people are very worried, some people are leaving," DeVitto said. "The intersections where some of the storm drains are in the lower streets, they look like a series of mini-lakes."

She and are her neighbors are concerned about trying evacuate with their main route, the Crosstown Expressway, closing down for the convention.

"They're going to hunker down like it's Gasparilla for 5 days," DeVitto said.

Their plan's not unlike the plan at Tampa General Hospital, where truckloads of hurricane supplies will arrive any day. They've prepared for man-made disasters during the RNC alongside other hospitals, and believe they're ready for any nature-made disaster as well.

"We've developed a plan that allows us to basically camp in the hospital and ride out any storms," said TGH Spokesman John Dunn. "We plan for emergencies all the time. It's part of the reason we even exist. It's part of our mission."