Several government entities across Florida are beginning to prepare for the incoming impact of a major tropical system on the verge of forming and impacting the state. Gov. Ron DeSantis has issued a state of emergency for certain areas expected to receive substantial impacts. The order affects most counties in Florida, including the immediate area of Flagler, Volusia, Putnam, St. Johns, and Duval.
The storm started out as Invest 97L, but is expected to likely evolve into Tropical Storm Debby as it increases its wind speed. Once it meets a threshold of 39-mph winds, it's officially a tropical storm and the fourth named storm of this year's hurricane season.
City governments across Florida are beginning to take their own measures to prepare for the storm's impact, including some measures common in times of incoming hurricanes. The initial forecasts call for moderate effects compared to actual named hurricanes, mostly in the form of heavy rainfall and possible strong winds. "We're not necessarily expecting any winds, but that's 100% subject to change," said Flagler County Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord on Friday.
At least twelve inches of rainfall are considered likely to accumulate in certain parts of Florida, even 'most of the state' according to DeSantis' executive order. The order also predicts flash flooding, coastal flooding, erosion, and possible damage to major infrastructure such as major roads, power grids, and facilities like airports, schools, and hospitals. There are still several projected pathways for the storm, but most include some impact to much of north Florida.
The next step in the storm's development would be the development of a tropical depression and eventually a tropical storm. Each passing update from local meteorologists places the chances of this happening as increasingly higher.
Several hardware stores in Flagler County will be selling sandbags, with local municipalities choosing to defer to those businesses on distribution. The locations in Flagler are as follows:
In Volusia County, multiple have begun opening sandbag distribution in anticipation of the storm. The locations announced by the county are as follows:
"People should definitely be considering that there may be a tropical storm in our community," Lord continued. "There is definitely a chance that it means nothing for us, but at this point in time we truly urge our residents to be prepared for a tropical storm, and then if it doesn't happen, then those preparedness efforts...you just keep those things that you prepared for another potential event."
Both Flagler and Volusia counties offer methods to stay informed with real-time updates on major storm systems in the area. Flagler County encourages residents to sign up for ALERTFlagler, while Volusia County is posting their updates in the Volusia Emergency Management app (available on the App Store and Google Play).
