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Parts of Florida are now under a hurricane watch as the chance Tropical Storm Debby could be a hurricane when it makes landfall in the state increases.
The storm, which is now Tropical Depression Four, is also forecast to slow down significantly after making landfall and wring out multiple days of rain in the Southeast, increasing the chances for significant flooding there.
The hurricane watch was issued for parts of Florida’s Big Bend region, where the National Hurricane Center forecasts a landfall as a strong tropical storm by Monday morning. The area is still recovering from a devastating blow by Category 3 Hurricane Idalia last August.
Other alerts warning of tropical storm conditions over the next 48 hours span the entire western Florida coast south of the Big Bend and include Tampa, Sarasota, Fort Myers and Naples.
Tropical Depression Four currently has maximum sustained winds of 30 mph and is about 170 miles southeast of Key West, just off the coast of Cuba, according to the National Hurricane Center’s 8 a.m. ET update.
Track the Storm: Spaghetti models and more maps here
The storm is expected to enter the eastern Gulf of Mexico on Saturday and officially become Tropical Storm Debby, according to the hurricane center. Tropical storm conditions could begin Saturday night in parts of southwest Florida, and rain will start impacting parts of South Florida.
„Very Intense“ rainfall is expected in Southwest Florida Saturday and a widespread 3 to 5 inches of rain could fall, according to the Weather Prediction Center. The intense rain will be potent enough to cause flash flooding, even in marshy areas of the state more capable of handling excess water.
The storm is forecast to continue to strengthen through the weekend and up to landfall while tracking through the Gulf of Mexico parallel to the western coast of Florida.
Shifts in the storm’s exact track and strength are still possible over the next 48 hours, but a key factor in the increasing chances for a hurricane is how much time the system spends over record-warm water in the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
