Gov. Sarah Palin is scheduled to speak at the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night. It’s a big night for the party and the McCain-Palin ticket as the campaign tries to stop the swell of negative press and show the little-known Alaskan governor is qualified for the job.

Tuesday night saw Sen. Joe Lieberman -- who many thought might have received the vice presidential nod – and former Sen. Fred Thompson speak to the gathered delegates. President Bush also spoke at the convention, though it was via satellite.

As for the delegates from North Carolina, they spent part of Wednesday on tour, checking out Lake Minnetonka before heading over to the convention center to listen to Palin’s speech, as well as comments from former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

The return to normalcy is good news for the party, after the convention was earlier hampered by the passing of Hurricane Gustav through the Gulf Coast states. But not all is back in order.

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A hurricane information center was set up so delegates – specifically those from Gulf Coast states – could pay attention to what was happening with Gustav and get in touch with those back home. The focus is now on Hanna, and several delegates from South Carolina and Georgia have told News 14 Carolina that they will be leaving the convention early just in case.

While some delegates say they’re used to these kinds of situations, others say it’s good to be cautious.

“My husband’s home and I talk to him every day, and I told him, ‘Just make sure you get my dogs and put them in the closet [in case of bad weather,]’” said South Carolina delegate Charm Altman.

Stay tuned to News 14 Carolina, as reporter Shawn Flynn is at the convention and will have more updates throughout the day.