ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Florida Gov. Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Isaac threatens to hit the Sunshine State Monday, just as the Republican National Convention opens in Tampa.

The governor issued an eight-page executive order outlining disaster preparations, which he called "a normal step." The order puts the state emergency management director in charge of the Florida National Guard, activates mutual aid agreements and suspends some regulations.

Scott said the organizers of the Republican Convention are involved in his twice-daily briefings with federal, state and local officials. The first-term Republican later said he would skip the convention to focus on the storm.

Any decision on the fate of the convention would be up to the party, he said.

"They still have time to make a decision-- our job is to keep them informed," he said. "They'll make a logical decision."

Convention organizers are expected to brief reporters within the hour on their preparations and what the storm might mean for the conventions.

One concern: Most delegates and guests are staying across the bay, separated by low-lying causeways.

"There may be some exposure on some of the bridges to some of the high winds," said Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. That might mean the 400 chartered buses ferrying conventiongoers around Tampa Bay might need to take a long detour.

"Next to some of the crowd management issues that we have, transportation is by far the biggest issue well be dealing with over the next five days," Tampa Police Chief Jane Castor said this morning.

Contributing: Paul Singer, Bob Rathgeber of the Ft. Myers News-Press