Tropical Storm Debby has become the fourth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, according to the US National Hurricane Center. The storm is likely to bring buckets of rain and cause coastal flooding to a majority of Florida’s Gulf Coast by the beginning of this weekend.
Tropical Storm Debby, which began as a depression, has sustained winds of 40 miles per hour while moving northwest at 15 mph. The storm was centered about 70 miles northwest of Havana, Cuba, on Saturday afternoon and was about 100 miles southwest of Key West, Florida, the center said.
“Hurricane conditions are possible in the hurricane watch area by Sunday night, with tropical storm conditions expected to begin on Sunday,” the hurricane center said. “Tropical storm conditions are expected to spread northward over the tropical storm warning areas this evening and continuing through Sunday.”
By the time the storm touches down in Florida’s Big Bend region it will most likely be “at or near hurricane strength” the center added. A recent forecast said the storm could intensify into a Category 1 hurricane.
The tropical storm is expected to bring 3 to 5 inches of rain, according to the Weather Prediction Center. But the storm will likely hover over parts of the US including the Georgia-Carolina coastline, and so by the middle of this coming week about 6 to 12 inches of rain could fall, although the heaviest rainfall levels could reach more than 18 inches.
"We could see a stall or a meandering motion around coastal portions of the southeastern United States," National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said in a Saturday briefing. "So that's going to exacerbate not just the rainfall risk, but also the potential for storm surge and some strong winds."
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 54 of the state's 67 counties as a way to engage resources in preparation for the storm.
“Floridians are encouraged to monitor weather conditions, listen to all orders from local officials, create disaster preparedness plans and stock disaster supply kits with food, water, and other necessities for their households,” the governor’s office said Friday.