The territory is now on a tropical storm watch. The National Hurricane Center gave the low pressure area headed this way the designation Tropical Depression 9 at the 5 a.m. Tuesday update, and meteorologist Walter Snell at the National Weather Service said at 5 a.m., it’s expected to be Tropical Storm Isaac by the time it reaches the area.

“Conditions are already starting to get a little windy, but the real action will start Wednesday afternoon,” he said.

By then, Snell said the territory should expect increasing wind and heavy rain as the storm nears the area. Isaac is expected to pass 60 miles south of St. Croix in the early morning hours on Thursday.

Sustained winds are now at 35 mph, and Tropical Depression 9 is moving west at 20 mph. Rainfall accumulations of four to eight inches are possible.

At 5 a.m. Tuesday, the center of the tropical depression was located near 15.2 degrees north, 51.2 degrees west or about 932 miles east of the Virgin Islands.

A tropical storm watch means tropical storm conditions are expected within 48 hours.