Florida Prepares for Landfall as Tropical Storm Debby Strengthens

Floridians were bracing early Sunday for the arrival of Tropical Storm Debby, which was expected to make landfall over the state’s Big Bend coast as a hurricane late in the day.

Officials in Florida and Georgia mobilized emergency resources Saturday, opening temporary shelters and urging residents of low-lying coastal areas in the storm’s path to evacuate, as Debby was expected to bring life-threatening storm surge.

Here’s what to know about the storm:

• Tropical Storm Debby was 195 miles southwest of Tampa, Fla., around 5 a.m. Sunday, with maximum sustained winds of 50 miles per hour.

• Storm surge warnings were in effect for parts of the Florida and Georgia coasts, with up to 10 feet of surge expected in some areas.

• Tornadoes were possible across Florida and parts of southeastern Georgia as the storm approached.

Preparations are underway in Florida and Georgia.

Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida activated about 3,000 members of the state’s National Guard to help the state’s storm response. Nine counties issued voluntary or mandatory evacuation orders covering thousands of residents where storm surge and major flooding was expected.

Local officials urged residents to heed evacuation orders and plan for potential power outages. In Hernando County, north of Tampa, voluntary evacuations began on Saturday night and a shelter was set up at a local school.

“Take the situation seriously,” Paul Hasenmeier, the county’s fire chief, said at a news conference Saturday evening. “We know the water is going to come up as the storm passes.”

“We expect conditions to deteriorate throughout the day on Sunday,” he added.

Life-threatening storm surge was expected for Tampa and other parts of the Florida Gulf Coast, the National Weather Service said. Mandatory evacuation orders were issued in Citrus, Levy, and Franklin counties.