The National Hurricane Center (NHC) issued alerts Sunday as disturbance in the Atlantic looks poised to become a tropical storm in the coming days.
The oh-so-catchily named Potential Tropical Cyclone 5 (PTC5) is expected to develop into a Tropical Storm within the coming hours ahead of Tuesday as it heads toward the Leeward Islands, according to the NHC. Additional watches are expected for Puerto Rico and the British and U.S. Virgin Islands as early as Monday night as heavy rains and potential flash flooding hit the region.
At the time of writing, the system is only traveling at an estimated rate of 30 mph. The current forecast suggests the storm will stay out to sea and hopefully won’t develop into a hurricane before dissipating well off the shores of the U.S. Any potential shift to this trajectory could see the country hit with another major storm system as we recover from Hurricane Debby.
5pm AST August 11th — Here are the first key messages for Potential Tropical Cyclone Five (#PTC5).
The system is expected to become a Tropical Storm, and Tropical Storm Watches have been issued for portions of the Leeward Islands. https://t.co/RiikxgLsnB pic.twitter.com/JJVL3PslNo
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 11, 2024
Hurricane Debby moved through the Gulf in early August after forming in a similar region to PTC5, bringing significant damage to parts of Florida, Georgia and up through the Carolinas where she was downgraded to a Tropical Storm.
Debby still packed a punch, with parts of rural North Carolina remaining under a flood watch as of Monday morning.
STATESBORO, GEORGIA – AUGUST 7: Brittany Wooden and her family look on at the neighborhood her grandmother lives in, Allen Circle, where homes are underwater after excessive rains caused flooding on August 7, 2024 in Statesboro, Georgia. Tropical Storm Debby has stalled over the South East, causing flooding and power outages throughout the region. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)
STATESBORO, GEORGIA – AUGUST 7: David Bird checks on flooding on his land on August 7, 2024 in Statesboro, Georgia. Tropical Storm Debby has stalled over the South East it is predicted to drop 10-20 inches of rain in the next couple days. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)
ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA – AUGUST 09: A TV journalist films high tide floodwaters on Prince St. in Old Town Alexandria on August 09, 2024 in Alexandria, Virginia. The Washington DC area experienced a tornado warning and flooding as a result of remnants from Hurricane Debby which has moved up the east coast. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The system was accompanied by a number of tornadoes and tornado warnings, some of which hit near major cities such as Raleigh and Washington, D.C. Debby’s death toll was seven as of Monday morning, according to PBS. (RELATED: Insane Video Of US Storm Will Make You Throw Out Your TV And Start Watching The Skies)
Debby is estimated to be one of the wettest landfalling hurricanes ever, bringing an estimated 50 trillion gallons or more of precipitation to the eastern seaboard.
