MIAMI, Aug 4, (AP): 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.
The National Hurricane Center said in an update posted at 2 a.m. Sunday that Debby was located about 65 miles (105 kilometers) west-northwest of Dry Tortugas National Park in Florida and about 230 miles (370 kilometers) south-southwest of Tampa. The storm was moving northwest at 14 mph (22 kph) with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph (75 kph).
Wind and thunderstorms have spread over a broad area including southern Florida, the Florida Keys and the Bahamas. A hurricane warning was in effect for sections of the state's coast with tropical storm warnings for the Florida Keys.
Debby is likely to bring drenching rain and coastal flooding to much of Florida’s Gulf Coast by Sunday night and predictions show the system could come ashore as a hurricane Monday and cross over northern Florida into the Atlantic Ocean.
Forecasters warn it also could drop heavy rains over north 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 after Tropical Storm Alberto, Hurricane Beryl and Tropical Storm Chris, all of which formed in June.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami predicted the system will strengthen as it curves off the southwest Florida coast, where the water has been extremely warm. Intensification was expected to proceed more quickly later on Sunday.
A hurricane warning was issued for parts of the Big Bend and the Florida Panhandle, while tropical storm warnings were posted for Florida’s West Coast, the southern Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas. A tropical storm watch extended farther west into the Panhandle. A warning means storm conditions are expected within 36 hours, while a watch means they are possible within 48 hours.