Forecasters are keeping an eye on a weather system — soon to be named Imelda — gaining strength in the Caribbean.
It was on track to become a tropical storm overnight or early Sunday and a hurricane by late Monday or Tuesday.
As of late Saturday, the system was located about 100 miles southwest of the Central Bahamas and was headed northwest at 2 mph. Its maximum sustained winds were 35 mph (55 kph), a little below the threshold for a Category 1 hurricane.
Officials across South Florida, which has been saturated by rain throughout September, are keeping close tabs on the storm system.
The expected tropical storm was forecast to run parallel offshore of Florida's Atlantic coastline.
A tropical storm watch was issued for parts of the coastline north of West Palm Beach to an area north of Daytona Beach.
In Homestead, which was devastated by Hurricane Andrew in 1992, Emergency Manager Jaime Hernandez worried about complacency.
“Too many South Floridians who may have experienced limited impacts from storms that came close in recent years, such as Hurricane Irma in 2017, have come away from these events mistakenly believing they have ‘been through the big one,’” Hernandez said.
He noted that Homestead is one of only four communities in the continental U.S. to experience the catastrophic impacts of a Category 5 hurricane. “We know all too well the importance of having an emergency plan and remaining informed,” Hernandez said.
The tropical disturbance brought heavy rains to the Dominican Republic on Friday, leading authorities to evacuate hundreds of people and declare a red alert in five provinces.
In the Florida Keys, Monroe County emergency officials reported Saturday they are closely tracking the storm.
No storm watches or warnings, however, have been issued for the Florida Keys. But local officials say there is an increasing chance of hazardous weather conditions in the Atlantic waters offshore the Upper Florida Keys.
Monroe County Emergency Management officials are urging local residents and visitors to monitor weather forecasts over the next few days.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
