TALLAHASSEE, FL—The City of Tallahassee announced Friday that it will open three sandbag locations to prepare for projected flooding and heavy rainfall, prompted by potential Tropical Storm Debby possibly making landfall over the weekend.
The storm, which is currently classified as a "disturbance", may soon form into Tropical Storm Debby and bring with it up to 73 mph winds and up to eight inches of rainfall, meteorologists warn.
"Communities along the Florida Gulf Coast and Panhandle should prepare for heavy rainfall and potential high winds, which could cause downed trees, power outages, and localized flooding," the City wrote in an email. "To assist citizens in flood-prone areas, the City will open three sandbag locations by 2 p.m. today, Friday, Aug. 2."
Sites will be located at the Jack McLean Community Center (700 Paul Russell Road), Mike Blankenship Skate Park, (2909 Jackson Bluff Road), and the Northwood parcel (1940 N. Monroe Street, near El Jalisco). Sandbags will be limited to 25 bags per household and citizens will be expected to bring shovels to fill the bags themselves.
"Locations will be staffed from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. to replenish sand and bags as needed. The site will be open until the storm threat has passed and it is determined there is no longer a need," they wrote.
Currently hovering over eastern Cuba, the storm—originally called Invest 97L—is expected to travel over Key West Saturday night and make landfall somewhere around Florida's west coast. Most predictions estimate it will be between Everglades City and Tallahassee, with the most likely estimates centering between Naples and Palm Harbor.
The city's email, sent just after 11:30 AM Friday, follows Governor Ron DeSantis declaring a state of emergency last night for 54 of 67 counties in preparation for the swelling system. This would be Florida's first tropical storm of the 2024 season, which lasts from June 1st to November 30th and would kick off what scientists say will be the most active Atlantic hurricane season ever.
The last storm to hit the Sunshine State was the devastating Category 4 Hurricane Idalia in August 2023, which caused $3.5 billion in damage, claimed 12 lives, and was the third-strongest landfalling hurricane in Florida history.
This year's other three storms, Tropical Storm Alberto, Hurricane Beryl, and Tropical Storm Chris, affected the Gulf areas of Texas, Louisiana, and Mexico, respectively.
