Clouds rolled over the Dominican Republic as Tropical Storm Isaac approached on Thursday.

It's a country hardened and wiser from past storms.

In 1979, Hurricane David was a monster that still haunts residents here. One of the deadliest storms in recent history, David is still the only hurricane to make landfall on the Dominican Republic as a Category 5.

But many, like hotel worker Neuris Lorenzo, remember another storm -- Georges in 1998.

"It surprised me. Because I spent three days in the hotel, and then when I went out, I see the city, like, destroyed. Everything. I felt very sad," Lorenzo said.

Hurricane warnings are in effect for the southern coast of the Dominican Republic to the Haiti-Dominican border. A hurricane warning is also in effect for Haiti.

On Thursday, some tourists at the international airport in Santo Domingo scrambled to get back home. A few, like Lisa Torricelli and her friends from Vermont, decided to stick with their vacation plans.

"We're going to make the best of it," she said.