The NHC stated that the system will likely become a tropical depression overnight, and then develop into Tropical Storm Debby on Saturday.
A tropical system transitions from a depression to a named tropical storm when its sustained winds reach 39 mph.
If the winds escalate to 74 mph, the storm would then be classified as a hurricane. As of now, the system is located approximately 90 miles east-southeast of Camaguey, Cuba, and about 420 miles southeast of Key West. It has maximum sustained winds of 30 mph and is moving west-northwest at 16 mph.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Hurricane Hunter aircraft is set to investigate this system later on Friday to gather more data and confirm its development.
Governor DeSantis’ Call to Action
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has already declared a state of emergency for 54 of the state’s 67 counties in anticipation of what could be the first major storm of the hurricane season.
This declaration aims to prepare resources and support for potential weeklong river flooding and other storm-related challenges.
