Forecasters expect depression to become Tropical Storm Debby as it nears Florida’s Gulf Coast
MIAMI — A tropical depression over Cuba is becoming more organized, meteorologists reported Saturday, and will likely bring torrential rain and flooding to much of Florida’s Gulf Coast.
The storm grew stronger to a tropical depression late Friday night and is expected to become a tropical storm by Saturday night, once maximum sustained winds of 39 mph (63 km/h) or greater are reached. If the depression reaches tropical storm status, it would be named Debby, the fourth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season.
The circulation was centered just south of Cienfuegos, Cuba, Saturday morning, but associated winds and thunderstorms were spread across a broad area, including southern Florida, the Florida Keys and the Bahamas. One location in the middle of the Florida Keys reported sustained winds of 30 mph (48 kph) Saturday morning.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami predicts the depression will strengthen as it curves north-southwest of the Florida coast, where waters have been extremely warm, with temperatures approaching 91 degrees Fahrenheit (33 degrees Celsius) this week.
Forecasts show that the system could make landfall late Sunday night or early Monday morning as a strong tropical storm and cross 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 watches have been issued for most of the west coast of Florida and the Dry Tortugas. A hurricane watch has been issued for parts of the Big Bend, acknowledging that there is a chance that Debby could reach hurricane status before making landfall.
Flat Florida is prone to flooding, even on sunny days when so-called king tides build in coastal areas. This storm is expected to bring storm surges of 2 to 4 feet (0.6 to 1.2 meters) along much of Florida’s Gulf Coast, including Tampa Bay, with higher tides of 3 to 5 feet forecast farther north in Florida’s sparsely populated Big Bend region, where the Florida peninsula curves west into the state’s Panhandle region.
Tropical storms and hurricanes could also cause river flooding and overwhelm the region’s drainage systems and canals. Forecasters are warning of 5 to 10 inches (125 mm to 250 mm) of rain, which could cause “locally significant” flash and urban flooding. Forecasters are also warning of moderate flooding for some rivers along Florida’s west coast.
The heaviest rainfall next week could occur in an area along the Atlantic coast, from Jacksonville, Florida, to Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina.
People in some Florida cities filled sandbags Friday to protect themselves from possible flooding. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for most counties in Florida, from the Florida Keys to Central Florida and the Tampa Bay area and the western Panhandle.
Meanwhile, far off the west coast of Mexico, Hurricane Carlotta continued to move westward, deeper into the Pacific Ocean on Saturday, with sustained winds of 90 mph (145 kph). The hurricane center said Carlotta may continue to strengthen somewhat, but should weaken Sunday as it enters an area of unfavorable winds and drier air. The storm is likely to dissipate into a remnant of thunderstorms in three to four days. No warnings or advisories are in effect.