DEBBY LIKELY TO BECOME HURRICANE BEFORE BIG BEND LANDFALL MONDAY… There is good news and bad news surrounding Tropical Storm Debby this evening. The good news is significant, direct local impacts in Alabama and northwest Florida are not expected. The storm will pass to our east. The bad news is for our friends in the Big Bend region of Florida where Debby is expected to make landfall some time on Monday. The storm is explicitly forecast to be a category 1 hurricane at landfall. 10 to 15 inches of rainfall is now in the forecast for parts of north Florida, southeast Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
LOCAL IMPACTS DISCUSSION – ALABAMA & N.W. FLORIDA… Tropical Storm Debby will pass to our east, thus significant local impacts are not expected. Forecast confidence is now quite high and any last minute changes before landfall won’t be drastic enough to put any part of south Alabama and northwest Florida in the immediate danger zone. Folks in Gulf County, Florida and points east really need to keep close tabs on this developing system. A Hurricane Warning is now up for parts of the Big Bend region with a Tropical Storm Watch in effect for Cape San Bras, Port St. Joe, and ending at Mexico Beach. There is a high risk of rip currents at all local beaches along the northern Gulf Coast, including Alabama and northwest Florida, over the next several days. Please heed the red flags that will be flying if you plan to visit the beaches!
P.M. STORMS ON SUNDAY… Our local weather pattern will be a pretty much carbon copy repeat tomorrow, just like what happened today. P.M. pop-up storms are likely with high temperatures slated to be in the low- to mid-90s. Not every community will have rain before the end of the day.
APP… If you haven’t already, be sure to download the free RedZone Weather app to keep up with all the latest information on the world of weather in south Alabama and northwest Florida. redzoneweather.com/app is the link for the free download. Once you have the app downloaded to your iOS or Android device, be sure to visit the Alerts tab (lower right corner) and tap the Alert Settings button to customize the alerts you would like to receive straight from me.
I will have more details posted on Sunday about Tropical Storm Debby in the eastern Gulf. Have a good Saturday evening!