Tropical Storm Katrina was upgraded to a hurricane Thursday afternoon as it moved slowly toward South Florida, gaining strength over the Florida Straits.
The National Hurricane Center said reconnaissance flights showed the hurricane was Category One as of 3:30 p.m. EDT.
"Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion," the National Weather Service said in a statement earlier in the afternoon, announcing that a hurricane warning remained in effect for the east coast from Vero Beach south to Florida City in the Keys.
At 1 p.m. EDT, the center of the storm was 40 miles east-northeast of Fort Lauderdale and 40 miles east southeast of Boca Raton. The storm was moving west at less than 6 mph with forecasters predicting further slowing.
The system had sustained winds of nearly 65 mph with higher gusts, and winds extending outward 70 miles. The National Weather Service said Katrina was expected to be a class 1 hurricane by the time it hits the coast.
Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami said Katrina was notable for the amount of rain it would produce. They said from 6 to 8 inches of rain was likely for the Bahamas and Florida, with isolated amounts of 15 inches possible.
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