Update: Florida, Caribbean Readies For Hurricane Ike; Category 3 Storm On Track To Make U.S. Landfall Tuesday

(AHN) - Governor Charlie Crist addressed Floridians Saturday morning regarding Hurricane Ike. Gov. Crist called the category 3 hurricane a "dangerous, powerful storm" and urged all Floridians to be 'smart and vigilant.'

Gov. Crist signed an executive order to declare a state of emergency Friday in order to ready preparations and administer aide quickly and effectively following the storm.

A tropical storm warning remains in effect for the northern coast of the Dominican Republic to the northern border with Haiti.

At 11 a.m. the center of Hurricane Ike was located about 150 miles east of Grand Turk Island. Ike is moving toward the west-southwest at about 16 mph/hr. That motion is forecast, by the National Hurricane Center, to remain the same for the next 24 hours. The storm is then expected to turn west on Sunday. The path will carry the storm near or over the Turks and Caicos islands and the southeastern Bahamas regions later today or early Sunday.

The storm is then expected to reach the Central Bahamas and the Northern Coast of eastern Cuba on Sunday night and early Monday.

The government of Cuba has issued a hurricane watch for the eastern portion of the island.

Hurricane force winds are extending outward up to 45 miles from the center of the storm and tropical storm force winds are extending outward up to 125 miles.