Tropical Storm Debby is rapidly intensifying as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico on a collision course with the Florida coast. The National Hurricane Center reported at 8 a.m. Sunday that Debby was approximately 155 miles southwest of Tampa and about 205 miles south-southwest of Cedar Key, Florida. The storm is moving north-northwest at 13 mph with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph, up from 50 mph just a few hours earlier.
The storm is strengthening over the southeastern Gulf and is expected to become a hurricane before making landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida. “I would urge all Floridians to be cognizant of the fact that 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,” Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said in a Sunday morning briefing. “But we are absolutely going to see a lot of rainfall. We are going to see a lot of saturation. We are going to see flooding events. That is going to happen. There is also going to be power outages,” the governor added.
Residents along the Gulf Coast are being advised to prepare for significant weather impacts, including heavy rainfall, flooding, and potential power outages. Local authorities are urging everyone in the projected path to finalize their emergency plans and stay informed through official channels.
The rapid development of Tropical Storm Debby highlights the importance of monitoring weather updates, especially for communities and businesses with ties to the region. Travelers and investors are also advised to stay alert to any disruptions that may arise due to the storm’s impact on infrastructure and services.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
