NOAA: Tropical Storm Debby Moves Faster

ORLANDO, Florida --  NOAA's National Hurricane Center storm tracker in Miami, Florida has issued a Tropical Storm Advisory at 2 p.m. EDT on June 26, 2012 which projects that Tropical Storm Debby will take on a more southerly and faster forecast track than yesterday's advisories.

The latest NOAA forecast track takes Tropical Storm Debby across Central Florida just north of Orlando, Florida by Wednesday, briefly becoming a tropical depression.  Debby is then forecast to return at tropical storm strength as it exits the Florida Peninsula into the open Atlantic Ocean waters near Daytona Beach, Florida on Thursday morning.

North and Central Florida have already experienced high winds, tornadoes, rain, and other tropical storm weather since last Saturday from Tropical Storm Debby.

Florida metropolitan areas that are in the latest projected path are Tampa, Orlando, Melbourne, Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Gainesville, Tallahassee, Ocala, and St. Augustine. 

 

The center of Tropical Storm Debby was located near latitude 29.3 North, longitude 83.6 West, which is about 35 miles west of Cedar Key, Florida.  Tropical Storm Debby is moving to the east at 6 miles per hour.  NOAA says that satellite images and reports from a U.S. Air Force reconnaissance plane indicate that Tropical Storm Debby is now moving faster toward the east-northeast.

NOAA's Tropical Storm Advisory states that isolated tornadoes are possible over the Florida peninsula.

  

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect from Mexico Beach, Florida to Englewood, Florida.

A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the waning area within 36 hours.

 

A tropical storm watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, in this case within 12 to 24 hours.

Maximum sustained winds have decreased to 40 miles per hour, with higher gusts. Little change in strengthening is forecast to occur during the next 48 hours.  Tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 205 miles mainly extending to the southeast from the center, .

Minimum central pressure estimated from reconnaissance aircraft is 995 MB ... 29.38 inches.

The combination of a storm surge and the tide will cause normall dry ares near the coast to be flooded by rising waters.  The water could reach the following depths above ground if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide:  

   

APALACHEE BAY AND THE NATURE COAST...2 TO 4 FT
SOUTH OF THE NATURE COAST INCLUDING TAMPA BAY...1 TO 3 FT

 

The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast in areas of onshore flow.  Surge-related flooding depends on the relative timing of the surge and the tidal cycle, and can vary greatly over short distances.

Tropical Storm Debby is expected to produce rain accumulations of 4 to 8 inches across Northern Florida.  Isolated storm total amounts of 25 inches are possible in North Florida.

 

 

The U.S. Geological Survey says that this year, the Gulf Coast is vulnerable to extreme erosion.