ORLANDO, Fla. _ Tropical Storm Isaias was expected to return to hurricane status overnight as it approached the southeastern Florida coast Saturday night, according to the National Hurricane Center's 11 p.m. update.
Hurricane warnings remained in effect from Boca Raton in Palm Beach County to the Volusia and Flagler county lines in Central Florida. Isaias downgraded to tropical-storm strength on Saturday afternoon, after the NHC's previous 5 p.m. forecast.
The storm is expected to skirt the coast of the coast of Brevard and Volusia counties, possibly as a Category 1 hurricane, during the day Sunday before turning to the northeast and taking aim at North Carolina's Outer Banks by 2 a.m. Tuesday.
"Don't be fooled," Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a press conference following the 5 p.m. update. "We do think it will be upgraded to a hurricane later this evening."
A tropical storm warning was in effect at 11 p.m. Saturday for inland Volusia, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties. Rain is expected throughout the day on Sunday, about 2 to 4 inches in some areas of Central Florida, with up to 6 inches closer to the coast.
Forecasters warned that any wobble in the path could bring strong winds into Central Florida.
Isaias' maximum sustained winds are near 70 miles per hour _ a little below hurricane strength of 74 mph. Slow weakening is predicted to begin Sunday night and continue through Monday, according to the NHC's latest advisory. On Monday and Tuesday, the center of Isaias will move from offshore the coast of Georgia into the southern mid-Atlantic states.
A storm-surge watch was issued from the Jupiter Inlet to Ponte Vedra Beach. A tropical-storm watch was extended northward from Altamaha Sound in Georgia to South Santee River, South Carolina.
The storm's tropical-force winds were expected to reach the southeast coast of Florida Saturday night and hurricane-force winds in the coastal warning areas overnight.
Isaias' center was about 80 miles southeast of Fort Lauderdale at 11 p.m. After having its strength drained during a pass through the Bahamas, where dry air and wind sheer were present, Isaias was expected to draw strength upon arriving in warmer waters from the Gulf Stream near the Straits of Florida.
Communities between the Volusia-Flagler county line and Ponte Vedra Beach are also under a tropical storm warning.
"Observations from the Air Force Hurricane Hunters indicate that Isaias has not re-strengthened thus far, but there is still a small window of opportunity for it to regain hurricane intensity Sunday while passing over the Gulf Stream waters," the NHC said in its 11 p.m. advisory.
Models show tropical-storm-force winds, which extend 115 miles away from Isaias' core, was expected to be felt in the Florida Keys by 8 p.m. Saturday, said NHC director Ken Graham.
Tropical-storm winds range in strength between 45 and 73 mph. Graham's message to Floridians was hopeful during a 9 a.m. Facebook video, but urged residents to take the storm seriously.
"When you have tropical-storm-force winds, it's just too dangerous to be outside," Graham said.
While the storm is forecast to strengthen, Isaias should weaken again upon encountering vertical wind sheer Monday evening as it moves up the Georgia coast and into the southern mid-Atlantic states where it is predicted to become an extratropical cyclone, the NHC said.
The forecast track sticks the center of the storm about 50 miles off the coast of Port St. Lucie at 2 a.m. Sunday with projected sustained winds of 75 mph and higher gusts at its closest approach to Florida.
Florida's east coast, from Ocean Reef in Key Largo to Sebastian Inlet at the Brevard County-Indian River County border, remains under a tropical-storm watch along with Lake Okeechobee.
