Tropical Depression Strengthens into Tropical Storm Deb…

MIAMI (AP) — A tropical depression strengthened into Tropical Storm Debby north of Cuba on Saturday and was forecast to become a hurricane as it barreled through the Gulf of Mexico on a collision course with Florida.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center said the storm had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (65 kph). Debby was located about 100 miles (160 km) west-southwest of Key West, Florida, and was moving northwest at 15 mph (24 kph).

Strong winds and thunderstorms have spread across a wide region, including South Florida, the Florida Keys and the Bahamas.

Debby is likely to bring heavy rains and coastal flooding to much of Florida’s Gulf Coast by Sunday night, and forecasts show the system could make landfall as a strong tropical storm or hurricane by Monday and move across northern Florida into the Atlantic Ocean.

Forecasters warn it could also bring heavy rain to northern Florida and the Atlantic coasts of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina early next week.

Debby is the fourth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season following Tropical Storm Alberto, Hurricane Beryl, and Tropical Storm Chris, all of which formed in June.

The National Hurricane Center in Miami forecast the system would strengthen as it moves away from Florida’s southwest coast, where waters have been extremely warm with temperatures near 92 degrees Fahrenheit (33 Celsius) this week.

The system could make landfall as a strong tropical storm or hurricane.

Debby is forecast to make landfall as a strong tropical storm or hurricane on Monday and move across northern Florida into the Atlantic Ocean, where it is likely to remain a tropical storm threatening Georgia and the Carolinas early next week.

Tropical storm warnings have been issued for most of Florida’s west coast and the Dry Tortugas, and a hurricane watch has been issued for parts of the Big Bend and Florida Panhandle. A warning means storm conditions are expected within 36 hours, while a watch means they are possible within 48 hours.

Tropical storms and hurricanes can cause river flooding and overwhelm drainage systems and canals. Forecasters warned of 125mm to 250mm of rain, which could lead to flash and urban flooding of “local significance.” Forecasters also warned of moderate flooding on some rivers along Florida’s west coast.

Some of the heaviest rain could come next week in a region of the Atlantic coast stretching from Jacksonville, Florida, northward through coastal regions of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. The storm is expected to slow down after making landfall.

“We could see some stalling or meandering motion around the coastal portions of the southeastern United States,” National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said at a news conference Saturday. “That’s going to exacerbate not only the risk for rainfall, but also the potential for storm surge and some strong winds.”

Florida’s flat plain is prone to flooding even on sunny days, and the storm is forecast to bring a storm surge of 2 to 4 feet (0.6 to 1.2 meters) along much of the Gulf Coast, including Tampa Bay, with a highest tide of 3 to 5 feet (0.9 to 1.5 meters) farther north in the sparsely populated Big Bend region.

Forecasters warned of “a life-threatening storm surge flooding hazard” in a region that includes Hernando Beach, Crystal River, Steinhatchee and Cedar Key. Officials in Citrus and Levy counties ordered mandatory evacuations of coastal areas, while officials in Hernando, Manatee, Pasco and Taylor counties called for voluntary evacuations. Shelters were opened in those and other counties.

A tropical storm warning was issued for the southern tip of the Florida Keys, with multiple wind gusts exceeding 45 mph (72 kph) reported.

Florida prepares to protect itself from flooding

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 61 of the state’s 67 counties, and the Florida National Guard has activated 3,000 guard members.

In Tampa alone, authorities distributed more than 30,000 sandbags to build flood barriers.

“We’ve cleared our storm drains. We’ve checked and charged all of our generators. We’re doing everything we need to do to be prepared for a tropical storm,” said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.

Christina Lothrop is the general manager of Blue Pelican Marina in Hernando Beach, a barrier island about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of St. Petersburg. She said Saturday still seemed like a normal summer day, with the public ramp across the street packed with people launching boats.

“It’s kind of the norm these days, which is a little bit strange,” Lothrop told The Associated Press by phone.

But workers at his marina have been preparing since Tuesday, securing boats stored on racks, stowing tool boxes and tying everything down.

“Right now what we’re doing is mostly tying up boats,” Lothrop said.

Before closing time on Saturday, Lothrop planned to lift the computers off the floor and place sandbags and tape on the doors. Last year’s Hurricane Idalia brought about a foot of water into the store.

Betti Silverman, whose home in Crystal River was under evacuation orders, said she doubted her family would leave. Silverman’s oceanfront home flooded during Idalia just as they were moving, ruining moving boxes and furniture stored in the garage. But she said the forecast for this storm is not as severe.

“We’ve been in Florida all our lives, South Florida, so hurricanes aren’t really a big deal,” Silverman said.

Crews on Friday removed floating cranes from a bridge construction project in Tampa Bay, joining 74 barges and 24 floating cranes and anchoring them until the storm passes, project engineer Marianne Brinson told the Tampa Bay Times. Crews also placed the cranes on land, on their sides.

Pinellas County has halted a $5 million beach renourishment project that was necessitated in part by erosion caused by past storms.

For some, the name Debby conjures up bad memories of a tropical storm of the same name that caused $250 million in damage and eight deaths in 2012, seven of them in the Sunshine State. That storm dumped torrential rains up the West Coast as far north as Florida, including an astronomical 730 mm of rainfall south of Tallahassee.

More storms in the Pacific, but no threat to land

Meanwhile, far from Mexico in the Pacific Ocean, Hurricane Carlotta continued to move westward with maximum sustained winds of 90 mph (145 kph). The hurricane center said Carlotta should begin to lose strength Sunday and is likely to dissipate into a remnant of thunderstorms in three to four days.

Further west, Tropical Storm Daniel formed in the Pacific on Saturday but was 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) off the southern tip of Baja California and was also expected to dissipate without making landfall.