Bay Area Still in Debby’s Sights

Those hoping to wake up to news that Tropical Storm Debby had sputtered out won’t get their wish. She’s still out in the Gulf, slowly making her way toward Florida’s west coast.

While Debby remains a “weak tropical storm” Tuesday, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Ernie Jillson, she is anticipated to dump at least 3 to 5 inches more rain on the Tampa Bay area over the next day or so.

The good news is there “are no tornado watches in effect” for the Bay, Jillson said. Even so, that’s likely to change later today.

“I would not be surprised to see one go up later today as the rain bands begin to increase,” he said.

Debby’s current track forecast by the National Hurricane Center has her making landfall sometime on Wednesday. The entire Bay area, including Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Sarasota and Manatee counties, remains in the Tropical Storm Warning zone. This means "tropical storm conditions (sustained winds of 39 to 73 mph) are expected somewhere within the specified area within 36 hours," according to the weather service.

Flood warnings also remain in effect for a large portion of the Tampa Bay area. Since Debby arrived over the weekend, she’s dumped more than 10 inches of rain in the Tampa area alone, Jillson said. The storm has been responsible for widespread flooding, road and bridge closings and wind damage in many areas across the Bay.

For more information about Debby’s current path and Tampa Bay weather, visit the National Weather Service's website. 

How are you riding out the storm? Let us know in the comments section.

Stay with Patch for updates about Tropical Storm Debby as they become available.