Florida Keys Under Tropical Storm Watch As Laura Heads Toward U.S

MIAMI, FL — A tropical storm watch was issued for the Florida Keys Saturday as Tropical Storm Laura moved closer to Florida.

"If you live in a mobile home or aboard a boat, consider sheltering Sunday night through Monday with friends or family in safer accommodations," Monroe County officials urged residents in Florida's southernmost county on Saturday.

The tropical storm watch was in effect from Ocean Reef to Key West and the Dry Tortugas as well as Florida Bay even as the latest forecast models appeared to spare much of the Sunshine State from the wrath of Tropical Storm Laura, which is expected to become a hurricane as it moves through the Gulf.

Other parts of Florida may also feel the effects of the storm.

"While the center may not track over us, there's still going to be impacts across Florida, especially southern Florida," Larry Kelly of the National Weather Service in Miami told Patch on Saturday. "You can even see up in the Tampa area, the Fort Myers area, they have areas where they are concerned about a little bit of storm surge and wind threat as well."

He said the most direct impacts from Laura will likely be felt in the Florida Keys. Forecasters cautioned that Laura could still shift closer to Florida as the storm approaches on Monday.

"We still want to be cautious and not just assume that the track is going to stay exactly the same," added Warning Coordination Meteorologist Robert Molleda with the National Weather Service.

Molleda said the forecast cone references the likely area of where the center of the storm will track but doesn't take into consideration impacts outside of the center.

The National Hurricane Center released updated forecast models that confirm the extraordinary possibility both Laura and Marco might be churning through the Gulf of Mexico around the same time.

Forecast tracks released by the National Hurricane Center showed Laura as a Category 1 hurricane on Tuesday night and remaining a Category 1 storm through at least Wednesday night as the storm appears headed for a possible landfall in Louisiana, Mississippi or Alabama. Laura is expected to be downgraded to a tropical depression by Thursday night as the storm pushes inland.

"On the forecast track, the center of Laura will move across Hispaniola today, be near or over Cuba Sunday night and Monday, and over the southeastern Gulf of Mexico Monday night and Tuesday," the National Hurricane Center said at 2 a.m. Sunday.

Laura was about 15 miles west-northwest of Santo Domingo and 145 miles east of Port-au-Prince, Haiti as of 2 a.m. Sunday. It had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. The storm was moving west-northwest at 16 mph.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management has pre-staged a mobile hospital unit in Marion ahead of Laura. The mobile hospital unit will assist hospitals that experience impacts from the storm.

State emergency management officials have special PPE kits available for storm shelters that include hand sanitizer, masks and gloves.

Monroe County Mayor Heather Carruthers declared a local state of emergency ahead of Laura and ordered a mandatory evacuation of all liveaboard vessels, mobile homes, recreational vehicles, travel trailers and campers.

County officials said general population shelters will open at 3 p.m. Sunday for people who live in "vulnerable homes or aboard boats." Monroe county includes Key West and the Florida Keys.

Marco was expected to become a hurricane this weekend and remain a Category 1 storm as it moves through the Gulf toward Louisiana and Texas at least through Monday night. The National Hurricane Center said Marco is expected to be at or near hurricane strength as it approaches the U.S. coast on Monday.

The National Hurricane Center said Laura is expected to strengthen over the Gulf of Mexico which could bring storm surge, rainfall and wind impacts to portions of the U.S. Gulf coast by the middle of the week.

"This could result in a prolonged period of hazardous weather for areas that are likely to be affected by Tropical Storm Marco earlier in the week," the National Hurricane Center said at 11 p.m.

Don't miss 2020 hurricane updates in Florida as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

Weather researchers predict the 2020 Atlantic hurricane system will be "extremely active," with the potential to be one for the record books.

See related:

• AT&T On Emergency Standby As Tropical Storm Laura ApproachesFloridians Prefer To Stay Home Than Seek Hurricane Shelter: USF
• 2020 Hurricane Season May Bring Record Number Of Storms
• 2020 Hurricane Season Brings Uncertainty, Sleepless Nights
• 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season List Of Names

An average season produces 12 named storms, including six hurricanes of which three become major Category 3 storms or above with top winds of at least 111 mph.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in its updated seasonal outlook earlier this month that we could see a total of 19-25 named storms with winds of at least 39 mph, of which seven to 11 will become hurricanes, including three to six major hurricanes.