Tropical Depression 4 organizes and anticipates strengthening

A storm south of Cuba is expected to become a tropical storm as it moves towards Florida’s west coast and the Gulf of Mexico. The storm, currently named Tropical Depression Four, is likely to strengthen and become Tropical Storm Debby by late Saturday. The National Hurricane Center issued a tropical storm warning for the west coast of Florida, from the southern tip to Boca Grande, as well as a storm surge watch for the area, including Tampa Bay. The storm is expected to bring heavy rain, storm surge, coastal flooding, and winds of 39 to 73 mph to the region. In Cuba, rainfall of 1 to 2 inches is possible. The storm is forecasted to hook north into the Gulf of Mexico and linger off the west coast of Florida, bringing storm surge flooding, 4 to 8 inches of rain, and possibly up to 12 inches of rain in some areas. This storm, if it becomes a tropical storm as expected, would be the fourth named storm of the North Atlantic hurricane season. The northern hemisphere has seen relatively few named storms this season so far, with only six occurring by mid-July, the fewest since 1969.

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