Tropical Storm Fay slowed down and began to make a more west, northwest move late Sunday as it threatened to strengthen into a hurricane and head towards the Florida Keys.

While most computer models still have Fay turning north and never reaching the Mississippi/Alabama Gulf Coast, officials still urge locals to pay attention to the storm in case it alters its course as it churns in the warm waters of the Gulf.

By 7 p.m. Sunday, Fay was moving “slowly and somewhat erratically toward the west-northwest,” according to the National Hurricane Center. So far, 2008 has been a relatively quiet hurricane season, especially for the Gulf Coast. Fay is just the sixth storm of the 2008 Atlantic season.

In Meridian, officials said although Fay is not likely to affect the Mississippi Gulf Coast region or Lauderdale County, just the fact the storm is moving into the Gulf of Mexico is reason enough to recheck their hurricane disaster kits to ensure everything is in place.

“As everyone knows Hurricane Katrina came roaring through our area in the latter part of August three years ago,” said David Sharp, director of the Lauderdale County Emergency Operations Center. “Hurricane Fay could be seen as a wakeup call for residents to go over their plans, check their supplies and just be sure they are ready for anything.”

Florida Keys officials closed schools, opened shelters and urged visitors to leave Sunday, but residents and tourists seemed in no hurry to evacuate.

Traffic remained light leaving Key West and the Lower Keys on Sunday afternoon as the sky darkened with storm clouds and the National Weather Service issued watches and warnings.

”We’ve seen worse than this in Omaha,” said Diego Sainz, who was visiting from Nebraska with his wife and friends. They had intended to leave Sunday but couldn’t get a flight out.

Authorities said traffic was becoming heavy in the Upper Keys, where the 110-mile, mostly two-lane highway that runs through the island chain meets the mainland. The Florida Highway Patrol sent in extra troopers to assist and tolls were suspended on parts of the northbound turnpike.

Fay could start pelting parts of the Keys and South Florida late Monday or early Tuesday as a strong tropical storm or minimal hurricane. Aside from wind damage, most of the islands sit at sea level and could face some limited flooding from Fay’s storm surge.

Officials in the Keys and elsewhere planned to open shelters and encouraged or ordered people who live in low-lying areas and on boats to evacuate. Schools in the Keys will be closed Monday and Tuesday.

Keys officials earlier Sunday had issued a mandatory evacuation order for visitors and asked those who had not yet arrived to postpone their trips. Officials said hotels and businesses won’t be forced to remove visitors, but they should use common sense.

Fay picked up some momentum Sunday afternoon as it headed toward Cuba, and could be a hurricane by the time it reaches the island’s center, forecasters said. Fay has already killed at least five people after battering Haiti and the Dominican Republic with weekend torrential rains and floods.

Fay was still forecast to move up the western coast of Florida, but could stay over open water longer, said Corey Walton, a hurricane support meteorologist. Fay likely won’t traverse as much of the Florida peninsula as initially thought, but the state will be affected by its winds.

A hurricane watch was in effect for most of the Keys and along Florida’s west coast to Tarpon Springs. A tropical storm watch was also in effect for the southeast coast of Florida from Ocean Reef north to Jupiter Inlet.



Editor Fredie Carmichael, Staff writer Brian Livingston and Associated Press writers Christine Armario in Tampa and Lisa Orkin Emmanuel in Miami contributed to this report.