The latest path of Ernesto shows the storm gaining strength and possibly hitting the state as a strong tropical storm, bringing winds of 50 mph to Central Florida by Wednesday, according to Local 6 meteorologist Larry Mowry.

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SLIDESHOW: What To Expect

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"We will start to see the effects of Ernesto early in the morning tomorrow and throughout the day tomorrow," Mowry said. "By 2 p.m. in the afternoon tomorrow, 60 mph winds are possible in Central Florida and then the storm moves up through Jacksonville."

Parts of southern Brevard and southern Osceola County can expect to see tropical storm-force winds as early as 8 a.m. Wednesday.

"Throughout the day those tropical storm-force winds will spread over most of Central Florida," Mowry said.

Mowry said if the projected track holds true, the strongest winds in the region will likely be in Brevard County.

There is an inland tropical storm warning for most of Central Florida Tuesday meaning winds between 39 and 74 mph are expected in the next 24 hours.

At 5 a.m. EDT, Ernesto had top sustained winds of 45 mph, down from its Category 1 hurricane-strength of 75 mph Sunday, the National Hurricane Center said. It was about 230 miles southeast of Key West and 235 miles south-southeast of Miami. It was moving west-northwest near 14 mph.

Keys Evacuated

Tourists were ordered to evacuate the Keys, where Floridians were expected to feel Ernesto's first effects.

With memories of Katrina and the seven hurricanes that have hit Florida since 2004 still fresh, state officials urged residents not to wait for Ernesto to strengthen into a hurricane again before stocking up on supplies and making other emergency preparations.

"This storm should not result in loss of life if people will just heed the safety messages," said state Emergency Management Director Craig Fugate.

Many appeared to heed the advice, as long lines formed for gas, food and other provisions. Some shoppers outside a Wal-Mart in Florida City said they have prepared for hurricanes so frequently that the storms are starting to blend together.

Hundreds of miles of the state's densely populated Atlantic coast and the Keys were under a tropical storm warning and hurricane watch in Ernesto's path.

A tropical storm warning was extended from New Smyrna Beach on Florida's Atlantic side and up to Bonita Beach on the Gulf Coast; a hurricane watch remained in effect along the same stretch of coastline.

A tropical storm watch continued on the west coast south of Englewood. Forecasters said a hurricane warning may be posted for portions of South Florida and the Keys later Tuesday.

Over the weekend, Ernesto, the fifth named storm of the hurricane season, became the first hurricane of the Atlantic season and lashed the Dominican Republic and Haiti, killing one woman on a Haitian island.

There were no reports of damage or injury Monday in Cuba, which Ernesto drenched before aiming north toward the warm waters of the Florida Straits.

The Bahamas on Monday ordered boats in southern islands to stay in port. The island chain had a tropical storm warning and a hurricane watch in effect for western islands close to Florida's coast.

In the Keys, mobile home residents were urged to evacuate and plans were enacted to evacuate special-needs residents to Miami. Miami-Dade County also opened a shelter for residents from the Keys.

NASA scrubbed a Tuesday space shuttle launch and prepared to move Atlantis into its giant shelter at Cape Canaveral if the storm continued to threaten. Cruise ship companies said they were diverting several liners to avoid the storm.

Gov. Bush: Don't Underestimate Ernesto

Gov. Jeb Bush warned Floridians to take a potential Category 1 hurricane slamming into the state this week seriously and that the state is preparing for a Category 2 storm during a hurricane briefing Monday.

"Hurricanes are hurricanes," Bush said. "We start thinking, 'Well a Category 3 storm -- boy that is bad and I better take this seriously and anything below that, not that important.' That is the wrong attitude. We have been hit by so many hurricanes that I think people start thinking they have the capability of underwriting the risks based on whether the storm is a Category 1, Category 2 or Category 3.

Bush reminded the state that Category 1 Katrina caused problems for the state last year.

"Katrina hit Florida before it hit the Gulf Coast," Bush said. "It was a Category 1 storm -- people died because they were out in the midst of the storm thinking it wasn't a potent storm. It created a lot of hardship for residents of South Florida just as other storms that had been Category 1 had done. We are planning for a Category 2 storm."

Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.