MIAMI — A tropical depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Debby north of Cuba on Saturday and was predicted to become a hurricane as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico on a collision course with the Florida coast.
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Debby was located roughly 195 miles (315 kilometers) south-southwest of Tampa, Florida, and roughly 255 miles (410 kilometers) south-southwest of Cedar Key, Florida, according to an update from the National Hurricane Center published at 5 a.m. on Sunday. With winds as high as 50 mph (85 kph), the storm was traveling north-northwest at 13 mph (20 kph).
According to the hurricane center, the storm was intensifying over the southeast Gulf and was predicted to become a hurricane before it made landfall in the Florida Big Bend region.
A wide region, including southern Florida, the Florida Keys, and the Bahamas, has been hit by wind and thunderstorms. A tropical storm watch was added for coastal Georgia in the most recent advisory, along with hurricane and tropical storm warnings for portions of Florida’s coast.
By Sunday night, Debby is expected to bring torrential rain and coastal flooding to parts of Florida’s Gulf Coast. Predictions indicate that on Monday, the system may make landfall as a hurricane and move over northern Florida into the Atlantic Ocean.
Early next week, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina’s Atlantic beaches, as well as north Florida, might get significant rainfall, according to forecasters.
Following the formation of Tropical Storms Alberto, Beryl, and Chris in June, Debby is the fourth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.
The system is expected to intensify as it curves off the southwest Florida coast, where the water has been very warm, according to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Later on Sunday, intensification was predicted to happen more swiftly.
Tropical storm warnings were issued for Florida’s West Coast, the southern Florida Keys, and the Dry Tortugas, while a hurricane warning was issued for portions of the Big Bend and the Florida Panhandle. A tropical storm watch was in effect for the Panhandle and further west. If there is a watch, storm conditions could develop within 48 hours, whereas a warning indicates that they are anticipated within 36 hours.
Hurricanes and tropical storms have the potential to overrun canals and drainage systems and cause river floods. Forecasters cautioned that there could be “locally considerable” flash and urban floods from 6 to 12 inches (150mm to 300 mm) of rain, and up to 18 inches (450 mm) in isolated regions. Additionally, certain rivers on Florida’s west coast may experience significant flooding, according to forecasters.
Georgia and South Carolina may experience the most heavy rains.
Actually, the Atlantic Coast from Jacksonville, Florida, through coastal areas of Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina might get some of the greatest precipitation the following week. Once the storm hits land, it is anticipated to weaken.
“During a Saturday briefing, Michael Brennan, the director of the National Hurricane Center, stated that we might observe a stall or a meandering motion around coastal portions of the southeastern United States.” “So that will increase the chance of storm surge and some strong winds in addition to the rainfall risk.”
It was expected that the storm would deliver a surge of 2 to 4 feet (0.6 to 1.2 meters) throughout most of the Gulf Coast, including Tampa Bay, with a storm tide of up to 7 feet (2.1 meters) north of there in the sparsely populated Big Bend region. Flat Florida is prone to flooding even on sunny days.
Forecasters in the vicinity of Hernando Beach, Crystal River, Steinhatchee, and Cedar Key warned of “a danger of life-threatening storm surge inundation.” While officials in Hernando, Manatee, Pasco, and Taylor counties called for voluntary evacuations, those in Citrus and Levy counties mandated the evacuation of coastal communities. In those counties as well as a few others, shelters opened.
21,000 people, according to Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast, reside in the county’s evacuation area. 73 individuals were saved by officials from storm surge flooding during Hurricane Idalia that occurred last year. Through phone, Prendergast expressed his wish to avoid a recurrence with Debbie.
“We just don’t have enough first responders in our agency and among the other first responders in the county to go in and rescue everybody that might need to be rescued after the storm surge does come in,” the man stated.
Preparations are under way for flooding
A state of emergency was proclaimed by Governor Ron DeSantis for 61 of Florida’s 67 counties, and 3,000 guard members were activated by the National Guard. On Saturday, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp issued his own state of emergency.
According to the White House, FEMA “pre-positioned” supplies including food and water and federal and Florida officials were in communication.
More than 30,000 sandbags were distributed by authorities in Tampa alone to prevent floods.
“Our storm water drains have been cleared out. Our generators are fully inspected and fueled. According to Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, “We’re doing everything that we need to be ready to face a tropical storm.”
At Blue Pelican Marina at Hernando Beach, a barrier island located roughly 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of St. Petersburg, Christina Lothrop holds the position of general manager. She stated there were a ton of people launching boats on Saturday at the public ramp.
“It’s kind of normal now, which is kind of weird,” Lothrop said over the phone to The Associated Press.
But since Tuesday, workers at her marina have been getting ready, tying everything down, securing boats that are housed on racks, and storing tool boxes.
“At the moment, the majority of our work involves tying up boats,” Lothrop stated.
Lothrop intended to lift computers off the ground, sandbag doors, and apply tape before closing on Saturday. Idalia pushed thirty centimeters, or nearly a foot, of water into the shop.
It was ordered that people vacate Bette Silverman’s home in Crystal River, but on Saturday afternoon she expressed doubts that her family would depart. Just as her family was moving in, Silverman’s beachfront house flooded during Idalia, destroying furniture and boxes in the garage. However, she claimed that Debby’s prognosis didn’t seem to be as dire.
“Since we have lived in South Florida, Florida our entire lives, hurricanes are not really a big, big deal,” Silverman remarked.
According to project engineer Marianne Brinson, who spoke with the Tampa Bay Times, workers tied 74 barges and 24 floating cranes together and secured them on Friday after removing the cranes from a bridge building project that spans Tampa Bay. On their sides, the crews also set down cranes on the ground.
A $5 million beach restoration project that was partly prompted by erosion from previous storms has been put on hold in Pinellas County.
Some people associate the name Debby with negative experiences related to a named tropical storm in 2012 that cost $250 million in damages and claimed eight lives, seven of them in the Sunshine State. Huge amounts of rain were dropped by that storm, including an incredible 29 inches (730 mm) to the south of Tallahassee.
Increased storm activity in the Pacific, but no land threat
Hurricane Carlotta continued to move westward in the Pacific Ocean, more than 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) off the coast of Mexico, with top sustained winds of 85 mph (140 kph). Carlotta started to weaken on Saturday and is probably going to fade into a thunderstorm remnant.
Tropical Storm Daniel developed in the Pacific, farther westward. In addition to being almost 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) from Baja California’s southernmost point, it was predicted to evaporate without colliding with any land.