TD Debby makes southeastward turn

Debby made landfall near Steinhatchee Tuesday afternoon, and continues to drench the state as it moves eastward.

From localized flooding to downed trees and even large sinkholes, Debby has already left its mark across Central Florida.

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Isolated tornadoes are possible across the Florida Peninsula. The entire region spent most of Monday under a tornado watch, along with several brief warnings.

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Forecast: What to expect from Debby

The storm made landfall late Tuesday afternoon near Steinhatchee. The storm's official track from the National Hurricane Center has it moving across northern Marion and Flagler counties Wednesday before pushing offshore around 2 a.m. Thursday.

It appears wind shear will weaken Debby a bit further as it makes landfall, and it could even be a tropical depression when it moves in.

As Debby moves offshore on Thursday, some restrengthening will be possible as it shoots to the northeast and away from Florida.

While rain bands have lost some intensity, we will continue to see fast-moving rains fly across the area.  Another 2 to 3 inches of rain could be possible in some locations. With the already soggy soil in place, winds could bring down moisture-laden trees.

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Tropical Storm Debby Advisory

11 p.m. update -- Center of Debby turns southeastward, expected to resume an eastward motion later tonight.

Watches and Warnings

There are no coastal watches or warnings in effect.

48-Hour Discussion and Outlook

At 11 p.m., the center of Tropical Depression Debby was located near latitude 29.0 north, longitude 82.8 west.

The depression is moving toward the southeast near 7 mph. A turn toward the east is expected later tonight, with a motion toward the east-northeast and an increase in forward speed expected on Wednesday.

On the forecast track, the center of Debby will cross the northern Florida Peninsula tonight and Wednesday morning, and possibly emerge into the Atlantic Wednesday afternoon or Wednesday night.

Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph with higher gusts. Little change in strength is forecast while the center is over the Florida Peninsula. Slow strengthening is possible after the center reaches the Atlantic.

The estimated minimum central pressure based on surface observations is 1000 mb or 29.53 inches.

Hazards affecting land

Storm surge: Even though Debby continues to slowly weaken, the coastal flooding threat has not fully diminished due to persistent onshore winds. The combination of a storm surge and the tide will cause areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters during the next high tide Wednesday morning.  The water could reach the following depths above ground:

Florida West Coast, including Tampa Bay: 1 to 3 feet.

The deepest water will occur along the immediate coast south of the center 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.

Rainfall: Debby is expected to produce additional rain accumulations of 2 to 3 inches over northern Florida through Wednesday evening, with isolated 5 inch amounts possible. Isolated storm total amounts of 25 inches are possible in northern Florida.

Tornadoes: Isolated tornadoes are possible across the Florida Peninsula today.

Next Advisories

Complete advisory: 5 a.m.

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