Florida governor warns of severe flooding from storm Debby

With Tropical Storm Debby forecast to rapidly intensify and potentially become a hurricane Before making landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned Sunday that the storm will cause severe flooding.

Authorities in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina are urging residents to prepare as the storm moves through the Gulf. Debby is now expected to undergo rapid intensification, which occurs when a storm’s maximum winds increase 35 mph within 24 hours. It could become a hurricane by Sunday night after being upgraded to a tropical storm a day earlier, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Given the situation, DeSantis said Debby will become a Category 1 hurricane in the next few hours before making landfall.

I affirm that Debby will have a similar trajectory to that of Idaliaa powerful Category 4 hurricane that hit the north of the state in August last year, but warned that it could have “more serious effects” due to the heavy rains expected.

“This storm will not have Hurricane Idalia-level winds, but it will leave much more water in northern Florida and we expect very significant flooding,” DeSantis said.

The Florida governor, who activated the Florida National Guard to deal with possible emergencies, He asked the population to be prepared and to avoid using vehicles in flooded areas.

According to the National Hurricane Center (NHC), based in Miami, Florida, Debby is located 125 miles from the city of Tampa.

The storm is moving north at 13 mph with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph.

According to the organization’s forecasts, Debby is expected to make landfall as a Category 1 hurricane on Monday, bringing heavy rain to northern Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

Debby is the fourth tropical storm to form in the Atlantic basin this season, which began on June 1.

Until now, Alberto, Beryl and Chris had formed, of which the second became a Category 5 hurricane, the maximum on the Saffir-Simpson intensity scale.

Official forecasts call for Debby’s winds to reach around 85 mphwhich would classify it as a Category 1 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson scale, when it makes landfall sometime Monday morning.

Hurricane conditions are expected to arrive Monday morning, and the outer bands of the storm system will move ashore during the day on Sunday. The storm is forecast to reach the Big Bend coast early Monday, at which time Debby is expected to slowly move across northern Florida and southern Georgia throughout the day and into Tuesday, the hurricane center said.

*With information from EFE.

Keep reading:
• Florida on alert for possible tropical storm Debby
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• Beryl’s remnants will cause flooding and tornadoes: what is its trajectory?