The latest projected path of movement for Ernesto shifted the storm west of Miami when it makes landfall Tuesday bringing winds of 65 mph to the area, according to Local 6 meteorologist Larry Mowry said.

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SLIDESHOW: What To Expect

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The storm did not strengthen Tuesday morning but was expected to grow before striking South Florida.

"As Ernesto tracks into our area, it will weaken a little bit, maybe down to 50 mph winds, taking it right through Osceola County, into Volusia County and then into the Atlantic," Mowry said. "With this forecasted track, if it holds true, we would see the highest wind gusts on the eastern side of Central Florida."

At about 10 a.m. Wednesday, tropical storm-force winds may be in southern Brevard and Osceola counties.

At 11 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 centered in the Florida Straits in warm open water, about 170 miles southeast of Key West and 180 miles south-southeast of Miami. It is moving west-northwest near 13 mph and could dump five to 15 inches of rain in Florida.

Rain Moves Into The Keys

Rain from Tropical Storm Ernesto has begun to pelt the Florida Keys.

Tropical storm warnings have been extended along the U.S. east coast from the Florida Keys to Altamaha Sound, Georgia. A tropical storm watch was extended along Florida's Gulf coast to Tarpon Springs.

All of Florida's southern half is under either a tropical storm watch or warning.

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.