Just hours after accepting the presidential nomination of the Republican party, Mitt Romney is headed to Louisiana for a more sober occasion: He will tour the damage left by Hurricane Isaac.
Update at 11:42 a.m. ET. President Obama also announced that he would visit the affected areas on Monday.
NPR's Ari Shapiro reports Romney hopes to console the victims of the floods. Ari filed this report for our Newscast unit:
"This New Orleans trip was a last-minute addition to the schedule.
"Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan were originally planning to campaign together in Florida and Virginia before spending tonight in Ohio.
"Now Ryan will visit Virginia on his own, while Romney flies to the gulf.
"The campaign says Romney and Louisiana governor Bobby Jindall will meet with first responders, thank them for their work, and see areas impacted by the storm in Lafitte, Louisiana.
"Hurricane Isaac forced Republicans to cancel the first day of their convention in Tampa on Monday.
"The storm caused flooding and destroyed homes in Mississippi and Louisiana.
"Visiting the devastation gives Romney an opportunity to look presidential as he surveys relief efforts and consoles victims.
"He'll be there before President Obama has had an opportunity to make a similar post-Isaac trip."
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