Visitors evacuate Florida Keys as Fay nears Cuba
NEW: As many as 25,000 could be leaving Florida Keys as Fay approaches
Fay may be near hurricane strength when it reaches central Cuba on Sunday night
Storm is expected to cross the Florida Keys on Monday night
MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- Traffic out of the Florida Keys area picked up Sunday as officials urged the evacuation of thousands from the path of approaching Tropical Storm Fay, a Florida official said.
Tropical Storm Fay is expected to become a hurricane before it makes landfall in Florida.
1 of 2 "Sunday is the day that visitors usually leave this area," said Key West Mayor Morgan McPherson. "But there are more leaving now, a sign that the evacuation is going well."
Florida Keys visitors were asked to evacuate starting at 8 a.m. as the storm neared Cuba. Residents in mobile homes and those in low-lying areas were also asked to evacuate, McPherson said.
As many as 25,000 people could be leaving, he said.
Fay could be near hurricane strength when it reaches central Cuba on Sunday night. It is scheduled to hit the Florida Keys area Monday, according to the 11 a.m. ET advisory from the National Hurricane Center.
The storm, with maximum sustained winds of near 50 mph (80 kph) and higher gusts, was heading west-northwest about 13 mph, forecasters said. It is expected to turn northwest by late Monday. See Fay's projected path »
The storm's center was about 75 miles (121 km) from Camaguey, Cuba, at 11 a.m., forecasters said. Fay was expected to be near the southern coast of Cuba later in the day.
The storm is expected to cross the Florida Keys on Monday night, becoming a hurricane before it reaches Florida's Gulf Coast. However, because hurricane movements are erratic, long-range forecasts can vary. The storm will become a Category 1 hurricane if its winds reach 74 mph.
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Residents of western Cuba, Florida and the Florida Keys should monitor Fay's progress, the NHC said. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist pre-emptively declared a state of emergency Saturday and told reporters he had partially activated the state emergency management office. He urged Floridians to ready themselves.
Shell Oil said Saturday it was evacuating 360 people from the Gulf of Mexico as Fay approached. See the flooding Fay left in the Dominican Republic »
A hurricane watch was in effect for Cuba from the province of La Habana eastward to Sancti Spiritus. iReport.com: Are you there? Share photos, video
A hurricane watch also was posted for the Florida Keys from south of Ocean Reef to Key West, including the Dry Tortugas, Florida Bay and along the Florida mainland from Card Sound bridge westward to Bonita Beach, the NHC said.
A hurricane watch means hurricane conditions are possible within the watch area in 36 hours.
The Cuban government issued a tropical storm warning for most of Cuba from La Habana province eastward to Guantanamo and also for Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. A tropical storm warning means tropical storm conditions are expected within 24 hours.
A tropical storm watch remained in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, meaning tropical storm conditions are possible within 36 hours.
A tropical storm watch was also posted for the southeast coast of Florida, from Ocean Reef northward to Jupiter Inlet, and for Lake Okeechobee, the NHC said
