DeSantis Declares State of Emergency Ahead of Tropical Depression

There is a 70 percent chance of a named storm forming over the next week, and a 30 percent chance of it forming in the next 48 hours.

The National Hurricane Center's tropical weather outlook on Aug. 1, 2024, for what could become Tropical Depression Debby. (National Hurricane Center/National Weather Service).

Florida’s Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for more than 50 counties on Aug. 1 as forecasters predict a tropical cyclone could hit his state’s panhandle and Gulf Coast in the coming week.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is continuing to track a “well-defined tropical wave” that could develop into a named storm once it crosses the eastern Caribbean into the Gulf of Mexico.