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KEY WEST, Fla. - With powerful Hurricane Ike on an uncertain course toward the Gulf of Mexico, many on these low-lying islands took a wait-and-see approach to evacuating Sunday, perhaps a harbinger of attitudes to come from Gulf Coast residents returning from an arduous evacuation and already showing signs of "hurricane fatigue."

Forecasts show Ike, which weakened to a Category 2 early Monday, bearing down on Cuba and skirting Key West early Tuesday on a trek to the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, on its way to a landfall late in the week somewhere between the Florida Panhandle and the Texas coast.

And once again, New Orleans — still recovering from the weaker-than-expected Gustav — is squarely in the crosshairs.

A tropical storm warning was issued for the Florida Keys early Monday.

In Key West, evacuation orders became mandatory Sunday for tourists and the approximately 25,000 residents alike, but traffic off the lone highway from the island was steady rather than jammed.

Mike Tilson, 24, was preparing to ride Ike out in his houseboat, only planning to evacuate if the storm takes a sudden turn to the north.

"I got tarps and champagne," he said as he pushed a wheelbarrow of supplies including Heineken beer, ice and a loaf of bread down the dock.

"It's just a good party. I'll stay."

Thousands told to leave
As of 5 a.m. EDT Monday, Ike was a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds near 105 mph. Forecasters expected further weakening as the hurricane moves over central Cuba on Monday.

The hurricane was centered about 40 miles east-southeast of Camaguey, Cuba, and moving west near 15 mph.

President Bush declared a state of emergency for Florida because of Ike on Sunday and ordered federal money to supplement state and local response efforts.

Key West Mayor Morgan McPherson said 15,000 tourists had already evacuated the region, and the Key West airport was set to close Sunday night.