? The National Hurricane Center posted a hurricane watch on Monday for the southern tip of the Florida Peninsula, including the Keys and the Miami area, as Tropical Storm Ernesto drew closer and threatened to strengthen. The watch – in effect south of Deerfield Beach, near Boca Raton, on the east coast and south of Chokoloskee on the west coast – meant hurricane conditions with sustained wind of at least 74 mph were possible within 36 hours. The Florida Keys were put under a watch Sunday afternoon.

The area was extended north of the Keys because Ernesto could become a hurricane again after it reaches the warm water north of Cuba, the hurricane center said. Forecasters said there was a 10 percent chance of hurricane-force wind striking South Florida and a 60 percent chance of tropical storm-force wind.

Gov. Jeb Bush had already issued a state of emergency on Sunday for all of Florida, which has been hit by seven hurricanes and brushed by another in the past two years.

Visitors were ordered out of the Keys, where only one highway is available for evacuation, travel trailers and recreational vehicles were ordered out and residents of mobile homes were urged to evacuate.

Preparations were made to evacuate special-needs residents of the Keys to Miami.