ropical Storm Debby was moving slowly in the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Sunday morning. It was set to intensify rapidly into a hurricane before landfall on Monday morning in Florida.
President Joe Biden’s administration, Gov. Ron DeSantis’s administration, and Florida’s National Guard were preparing, as the state of emergency applied to nearly all 67 counties.
Local officials evacuated some coastal areas, provided sandbags, and cleared storm drains. DeSantis asked Floridians Sunday to abide by evacuation orders and prepare for flooding.
“We are going to have a hurricane hit the state, probably a Category 1, but it could be a little bit more powerful than that, but we are absolutely going to see a lot of rainfall,” DeSantis said during a news conference.
Cedar Key, an island city in Levy County, was forecast to take the biggest hit.
At 5 a.m., the fourth named storm of this hurricane season was moving north-northwest at 13 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph. At 8 a.m., the movement remained the same, but maximum sustained winds increased to 60 mph.
A hurricane warning was in effect for some areas of the Big Bend and the Florida Panhandle. Up to 18 inches of rainfall stand to cause flooding.
Tropical storm warnings were in effect for Florida’s Gulf Coast. A tropical storm watch was in effect in the western Panhandle.
There was also the risk of 2 to 4 feet of storm surge on the Gulf Coast and “a danger of life-threatening storm surge inundation” in Hernando Beach, Crystal River, Steinhatchee, and Cedar Key.
SOUTH FLORIDA
Tropical storm warnings were in effect for the lower Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas. Rain is the biggest threat to South Florida.
A flood watch is in effect in Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe counties. A high surf advisory was in effect in coastal areas.
Most of the day will be dry, but not in the afternoon or evening when thunderstorms will come with a tornado risk.
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