As Tropical Storm Isaac barrels toward the Gulf Coast, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said today that he'll forgo attending the Republican National Convention in Tampa Fla., in order to focus on monitoring and making preparations for the storm.

"I will not be speaking or attending the Republican convention in Florida," he told a news conference in Baton Rouge. "There is no time for politics here in Louisiana."

Jindal had been slated to speak Wednesday night.

This is the second time mother nature has thwarted Jindal's convention plans. The Louisiana governor was slated to speak at the GOP convention in St. Paul, Minn., in 2008 but cancelled because of Hurricane Gustav.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley and Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant canceled their trips to Tampa over the weekend, and Florida Gov. Rick Scott called off his convention appearances to monitor Isaac, which is expected to elevate to hurricane status in the coming days.

Tropical Storm Isaac's projected path nearly mirrors the course taken by Hurricane Katrina, which hit New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region seven years ago this week.