By Michael O'Brien, NBC News
Updated 6:51 p.m. - TAMPA, Fla. -- Republicans announced Saturday that they had effectively canceled the first day of its convention for safety concerns associated with an impending hurricane.
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement that "the Republican National Convention will convene on Monday August 27th and immediately recess until Tuesday afternoon, August 28th."
That move essentially postpones the activities of the first of four scheduled days of the convention.
Convention organizers had pushed ahead with the gathering as planned for much of the week, even as it seemed, for some time, that Isaac was on a direct trajectory toward Tampa.
The impending hurricane aside, Republicans already did some last-minute reshuffling for their convention order, moving Ann Romney's speech to Tuesday from Monday because major television networks hadn't planned to broadcast the first night of the convention.
Following that change, the main speakers on Monday had been set to be South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
Planning had also called for the formal roll call vote of delegates to nominate Romney for president to take place on Monday.
Bill Harris, the convention's president and CEO, said the convention organizers "will continue providing updates in the hours and days ahead."
