Central Florida officials said Monday they're monitoring the storm for any threats.
The depression, which formed Sunday from a lingering tropical wave, was southwest of Key West late Monday and moving west-northwest at 5 mph with maximum sustained winds of 35 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami.
Forecasters are predicting it to strengthen and become more organized as it moves farther into the Gulf. The depression could be upgraded to a tropical storm early Tuesday.
Early models show it taking a turn toward Florida Tuesday night and crossing the Big Bend region of the state later this week as a tropical storm. Its effects will be felt before then, though.
Florida's State Emergency Operations Center will upgrade to a level two activation to prepare for the storm Tuesday.
Central Florida started seeing isolated showers Monday, and rain chances will increase through Thursday, forecasters say.
John Pendergrast, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Melbourne, said heavy rain with localized flooding will be the biggest threat from the storm. Current estimates show Central Florida receiving up to 3 inches of rain through Wednesday, he said.
Those amounts could increase depending on how much the storm strengthens during the next few days, he said.
If it crosses Florida later this week, Pendergrast said, there also will be a chance for severe weather, such as tornadoes, which are typically seen with storms coming from the Gulf.
"We'll be watching that threat and get the word out if it unfolds," he said.
Kelly Deutsch, acting manager of Orange County Mosquito Control, also will be monitoring the storm as her crews stay busy fighting the species of flying insects blamed for spreading the Zika virus.
She said county residents can help, too, by draining standing water in their yards and emptying storm water from flowerpots and other small containers, which can turn into breeding grounds for Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus, two kinds of mosquitoes linked to Zika. Those mosquitoes grow from larvae to biting pests in less than a week.
"We try to do as much proactive work as we can," Deutsch said. "But we still need people to be watching."
Storms with heavy rains and wind can pose extra problems because they might plug gutters with leaves, creating more places for mosquitoes to breed.
In preparation for the extra rain, crews in Orange have been clearing storm drains, county spokeswoman Doreen Overstreet said.
Seminole County officials said residents concerned about flooding can fill up to 30 sandbags at Fire Station 35, 4170 U.S. Highway 17-92 in Sanford.
Orange County hasn't opened any fill station, but officials are on standby, Overstreet said.
Orlando officials also said they're monitoring the weather system.
Another tropical depression formed Sunday in the Atlantic, west of Bermuda, and was expected to strengthen before bringing heavy rain to North Carolina early this week.
The depression that's upgraded to a tropical storm first will be named Hermine. The other will be called Ian.
Staff writers Gal Tziperman Lotan and Stephen Hudak contributed to this report. sallen@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5417
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