Tropical Storm Debby Community Brief

For Saturday, August 3

Leon County continues to closely monitor and prepare for Tropical Storm Debby.
 
In close coordination with the National Weather Service, Leon County wants every County citizen to know the latest, most accurate weather forecast as the storm continues to develop and strengthen. See below for an overview:

• As of 5 p.m. today, Tropical Depression Four has been upgraded to Tropical Storm Debby, potentially reaching hurricane strength before making landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region by late Sunday night or early Monday.
• The storm will bring flooding, heavy rainfall, gusty winds, and coastal flooding across the Florida Peninsula this weekend, with the potential for prolonged impacts if it slows down near the Southeast coast.
• Specifically for Leon County, the forecast calls for up to six inches of rain, tropical-storm-force gusts, and flooding in some areas.
• Leon County has been upgraded to a Tropical Storm Warning and is currently under a Flood Watch from the National Weather Service. If the track continues to shift westward, Leon County's impacts will increase as well. At this time, the storm could intensify into a Category 1 hurricane before landfall.
• The most likely arrival of storm impacts would be late Sunday night, lasting into Monday. The storm continues to slow, meaning heavy rain could last longer, leading to flash floods and causing river levels to rise.

• FloridaDisaster.org contains a summary of currently open general and special needs shelters within the State of Florida.
• The Visit Florida website contains current travel safety information as well as resources for hotel and lodging availability across the state of Florida.
• The American Red Cross shelter directory contains a list of currently open American Red Cross shelters across the country.

• Leon County Northeast Branch Library, 5313 Thomasville Road
• Apalachee Regional Park (Solid Waste Management Facility), 7550 Apalachee Parkway
• Fred George Park, 3403 Capital Circle NW
• At the intersection of Oak Ridge Road at Ranchero Road
• Fort Braden Community Park, 15000 Blountstown Highway

• Fort Braden School,15100 Blountstown Hwy
• Chiles High School, 7200 Lawton Chiles Lane (pet-accessible)
• Rickards High School, 3013 Jim Lee Rd.
• Lincoln High School, 3838 Trojan Trail
• Fairview Middle School, 3415 Zillah St.
• SAIL High School, 2006 Jackson Bluff Rd.

• LeonReady.com – The Leon Ready website is a hub of resources to help you, your family and your neighborhood prepare for disasters. There are a variety of resources available, like the County’s 2023 Disaster Survival Guide, a full list of disaster supplies for your disaster bucket, and so much more, to increase your readiness.
• Download the Leon County Citizens Connect Mobile App - Completely redesigned, the Citizens Connect mobile app puts timely emergency notifications at your fingertips through push notifications on your smartphone or other device. Be the first to know about shelter locations, road closures and service changes by downloading the application on the Apple and Google Play stores.
• Visit the Leon County Emergency Information Portal - Hosting the same information as the Citizens Connect app, the Emergency Information Portal can be accessed on a desktop or a mobile browser by visiting www.LeonCountyFL.gov/ei.
• Listen to 88.9 WFSU-FM - Citizens can tune in to 88.9 FM for the most up-to-date information from local public safety officials. Featuring to-the-minute reporting, WFSU, Leon County and the City of Tallahassee remain committed to getting information out on the radio as soon as possible.
• Additionally, iHeartRadio will also provides up-to-date emergency information on all of the following stations: WFLA-FM 100.7, WFLF-FM 94.5, WTNT 94.9, KISS-FM 107.1, X-FM101.5, and The Beat-FM 105.3.
• Call 2-1-1 Big Bend - If you need community information, services and support any day of the year, Big Bend 2-1-1 is reachable by dialing either 2-1-1 or (850) 617-6333.
• Call 850-606-3700 with questions - Leon County Emergency Management staff is available to answer questions about how you should prepare, act and recover.
• For updates on City of Tallahassee Utilities and other City services, visit Talgov.com.
• Insurance Helpline - The Florida Department of Financial Services offers a toll-free Insurance Consumer Helpline to assist Florida's insurance consumers. Insurance Specialists are available to answer questions or concerns regarding insurance coverage and advocate on a consumer's behalf to resolve a dispute with an insurance company. To receive assistance, call 1-877-MY-FL-CFO (693-5236) toll-free, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Price Gouging - During a state of emergency, it is unlawful to sell or lease certain commodities for an amount that grossly exceeds the average price. To report price gouging, call 1-866-966-7226. If you are looking for gas, use GasBuddy.com to report fuel prices and availability.

Plan now because when disaster strikes, it is too late to prepare. Leon County and the City of Tallahassee encourage citizens to put disaster supplies in a waterproof and durable five-gallon bucket. Keep these essential items near an exit door in your home or in your vehicle.

Some important items include a flashlight, medications, nonperishable food and water. Visit LeonReady.com to view the 2024-25 Disaster Survival Guide for disaster preparedness resources and a full list of preparedness items.

Once you and your family have a hurricane preparedness plan in place, check on your neighbors to ensure that they have one, too. Neighborhoods that prepare together create strong support networks that are vital to a speedy recovery. In the event of a major disaster, your neighbors will be your closest resource and support.

It is important to know the difference between a hurricane watch and a hurricane warning. A hurricane watch is an announcement that hurricane conditions (sustained winds of 74 miles per hour or higher) are possible within a specified area. Watches are generally issued 48 hours in advance of hurricane winds. A warning indicates conditions are expected, and these are issued 36 hours in advance.

Prepare your home for strong winds by visually inspecting trees on your property for poor health and reducing the risk to your home by trimming hanging limbs. If you have any questions about your tree's health, contact a Certified Arborist to assist you.

Please prepare now. If you have any questions about how best to prepare, please call the Leon County Citizens Information Line at 850-606-3700.

For current information about local preparedness and response, please visit www.LeonCountyFL.gov/ei.