A man fishes on a beach in a residential area in the southern United States on November 5, 2001, after Hurricane Michelle in Key West, Florida.
Mark Serota, Reuters
A tropical depression intensified into Tropical Storm Debbie north of Cuba on Saturday and was expected to become a hurricane as it crossed the Gulf of Mexico and collided with the Florida coast.
The National Hurricane Center said in an update released at 2 a.m. Sunday that Debbie was about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida and about 230 miles (370 kilometers) southwest of Tampa. The storm was moving northwest at 14 mph (22 km/h) with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 km/h).
Winds and thunderstorms have spread across a wide area including southern Florida, the Florida Keys and the Bahamas. A hurricane warning is in effect for parts of the state’s coast, and a tropical storm warning is in effect for the Florida Keys.
Debbie could bring heavy downpours and coastal flooding to much of Florida’s Gulf Coast Sunday night, and forecasts show the system could make landfall as a hurricane on Monday and move across northern Florida into the Atlantic Ocean.
Debbie 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 predicts the system will strengthen as it moves off the southwest coast of Florida, where water temperatures are very warm. Tensions were expected to pick up steam later on Sunday.
A hurricane warning was issued for parts of Big Bend and the Florida Panhandle, and a tropical storm warning was issued for Florida’s west coast, the southern Florida Keys and the Dry Tortugas. A tropical storm watch extends further west into the Panhandle. Warnings indicate storms are expected within 36 hours, while watches indicate storms are possible within 48 hours.
tropical storms and hurricanes River flooding and flooding of drainage systems and canals may occur. Forecasters warned of rainfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches (150 mm to 300 mm), with up to 18 inches (450 mm) in isolated areas, which could cause “locally severe” flash and urban flooding. Forecasters also warned of moderate flooding in some rivers along Florida’s west coast.
Heaviest rainfall likely in Georgia and South Carolina
In fact, some of the heaviest rainfall could occur next week, along the Atlantic coast from Jacksonville, Florida, through coastal areas of Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. The storm is expected to slow after landfall.
“We may see stalling or meandering motion along the southeastern U.S. coast,” National Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said during a Saturday briefing. “So that would not only heighten the risk of rainfall, but also intensify storms.” Possibility of tides and strong winds.”
Flat Florida is prone to flooding even on sunny days, and the storm is expected to bring surges of 2 to 4 feet (0.6 to 1.2 meters) along much of the Gulf Coast, including Tampa Bay. Up to level 7.
Forecasters warned of “risk of life-threatening storm surge inundation” in areas including Hernando Beach, Crystal River, Stanhatchee and Cedar Island. Officials in Citrus and Levy counties ordered mandatory evacuations along the coast, while officials in Hernando, Manatee, Pasco and Taylor counties called for voluntary evacuations. Shelters have opened in these and other counties.
Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast estimated there are 21,000 people in the county’s evacuation zones. During Hurricane Idalia last year, officials rescued 73 people from storm surge flooding. Prendergast said by phone that he hopes not to make the same mistake with Debbie.
“When storm surge does arrive, our agency and other first responders in the county simply don’t have enough first responders to rescue all the people who may need rescue,” he said.
Flood preparations are underway
Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 61 of Florida’s 67 counties, and the National Guard deployed 3,000 Guardsmen. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issued his own emergency declaration on Saturday.
The White House said federal and Florida officials were in contact and the Federal Emergency Management Agency was “prepositioning” resources including water and food.
In Tampa alone, officials distributed more than 30,000 sandbags to combat flooding.
“We’ve had our storm drains cleared. We’ve had our generators fully inspected and filled. We’re taking every step to be prepared for a tropical storm,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said.
Christina Lothrop is general manager of the Blue Pelican Marina in Hernando Beach, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of St. Petersburg ) is a barrier island. She said the public ramp was packed with people taking to the water on Saturday.
“It’s kind of normal today, but it’s kind of weird,” Lothrop told The Associated Press by phone.
However, staff at her marina have been preparing since Tuesday, securing the boat on racks, storing tool boxes and tying everything down.
“Right now what we’re basically doing is tying down the boats,” Lothrop said.
Before closing on Saturday, Lothrop planned to lift the computers off the floor and raise the doors with sandbags and tape. Idalia poured about a foot (30 centimeters) of water into the store.
Betti Silverman, whose home in Crystal River is under an evacuation order, said Saturday afternoon she doubted her family would leave. Silverman’s beachfront home in Idalia flooded just as her family was moving in, destroying boxes and furniture in the garage. But she said the forecast for Debbie seemed less grim.
“We’ve been in Florida our whole lives, in South Florida, so hurricanes aren’t really a big deal,” Silverman said.
Crews pulled floating cranes from a bridge construction project in Tampa Bay on Friday, tying 74 barges and 24 floating cranes together, project engineer Marianne Brinson told the outlet. and anchor. tampa bay times. Crews also placed cranes on land on either side of it.
Pinellas County has paused a $5 million beach restoration project due in part to erosion from past storms.
For some, the name Debbie brings to mind the 2012 tropical storm of the same name, which caused $250 million in damage and eight deaths, seven of them in the Sunshine State. The storm brought heavy downpours, with an astronomical 29 inches (730 mm) of rain falling south of Tallahassee.
More storms in Pacific, but no threat to land
Hurricane Carlotta continues to move westward in the Pacific Ocean more than 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) from Mexico, with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (140 km/h). Carlotta begins to lose strength on Saturday and will likely dissipate into the remnants of a thunderstorm.
Further west, Tropical Storm Daniel formed in the Pacific. It is more than 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) from the southern tip of Baja California and is also expected to dissipate without hitting land.
