Pinellas County is under a Storm Surge WATCH and a Tropical Storm WARNING.
Forecasters expect Tropical Storm Debby to form later today or tonight

LATEST LOCAL FORECAST

Current storm predictions:

• The current forecast has a strong topical storm passing 100 miles west of Pinellas.
• Our area can expect 30 to 40 mph sustained winds with Gusts of 55 mph beginning around noon on Sunday and lasting through Monday morning.
• Current forecast modeling calls for a 2 to 4 foot storm surge and 4 to 6 inches of rain on Sunday. Higher than normal tides can be expected beginning midday Sunday.
• Isolated tornadoes or waterspouts are possible.

Hazardous boating and beach conditions will continue for at least the next few days.

SUMMARY OF 500 AM EDT...0900 UTC...INFORMATION
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LOCATION...25.5N 84.0W
ABOUT 195 MI...315 KM SSW OF TAMPA FLORIDA
ABOUT 255 MI...410 KM SSW OF CEDAR KEY FLORIDA
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...50 MPH...85 KM/H
PRESENT MOVEMENT...NNW OR 330 DEGREES AT 13 MPH...20 KM/H
MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...1001 MB...29.56 INCHES

Sandbag locations

PINELLAS

1. Clearwater -- 10 per vehicle, and Clearwater residents only. Prefilled bags while supplies last
   • Joe DiMaggio Sports Complex, 2450 Drew Street
2. Dunedin -- Residents only -- 15 per resident
   • Highlander Park -- Saturday from 12 pm -- 7 pm and Sunday from 8 am-Noon
3. Pinellas County Residents -- 10 per vehicle
   • Pinellas County Solid Waste Disposal complex, 2855 109th Avenue N, St. Petersburg, Saturday 8 am-1 pm -- prefilled sandbags available
   • John Chestnut Sr. Park, 2200 East Lake Road, Palm Harbor, Saturday 8 am- 1pm -- must bring your own sandbags and shovel.
4. Pinellas Park -- Residents up to 10 sandbags each
   • Parking lot at 6151 78th Avenue N -- Saturday from 9 am -- 5 pm
5. St. Petersburg -- Friday and Saturday, 7 am -- 7 pm or until weather allows
   • Dell Homes Park -- 2741 22nd St. S. -- self-serve location
   • Fossil Park Northern Most Parking Lot -- 6875 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. St. N. -- self-serve location
   • Walter Fuller Soccer Field Parking Lot -- 2800 75th St. N. -- self-serve location
   • Lake Maggiore Park Shelter Area -- 3601 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. St. S. -- full-service location
   • Northeast Park East Baseball Field Parking Lot -- 955 62nd Ave. NE. -- full-service location
   • Northwest Swimming Pool Parking Lot Park -- 2331 60th St. N. -- full-service location
6. Treasure Island -- Not provided

HILLSBOROUGH

Hillsborough County to Open Shelter at 6 p.m. Saturday
Tropical Depression Four Update No. 2

Hillsborough County, Fla. (Aug. 3, 2024) -- Hillsborough County will open an emergency shelter at 6 p.m. today as a precaution as the area prepares for potential storm impacts. The shelter will be open for those who are prone to flooding or have special needs.

The shelter is located at Erwin Technical College, 2010 E. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa, FL 33610. The shelter will be open to those with special needs as well as the general population and is pet-friendly. Residents are urged to use emergency shelters as a last resort and contact friends and family as a first option. Cots and blankets are not provided at shelters, and residents should bring their own comfort items. More information on what to bring to shelters can be found here.

Shelter-goers with pets need to bring a sturdy carrier for each pet that allows room for the pet to stand and move around, as well as a collar with a leash and supplies for each pet. More information on how residents can prepare their pets can be found here.

Sandbags

Hillsborough County is continuing to provide sandbags to help residents prepare for potential flooding caused by Tropical Depression Four.

The sandbags will be available to the public until 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 3, at the following four locations:

• Edward Medard Conservation Park, 6140 Turkey Creek Rd., Plant City, FL 33567
• E.G. Simmons Conservation Park, 2401 19th Ave. NW, Ruskin, FL 33570
• Ed Radice Sports Complex, 14720 Ed Radice Dr., Tampa, FL 33626
• Larry Sanders Sports Complex, 5855 S. 78th St., Tampa, FL 33619

Hillsborough County residents are eligible for a maximum of 10 sandbags per family. Residents must show ID verifying they live in the county; a driver's license or utility bill will serve as proper identification.

Edward Medard Conservation Park, E.G. Simmons Conservation Park, Ed Radice Sports Complex, and Larry Sanders Sports Complex will be closed to the public during sandbag operations.

If you have any useful information to share please send to news@iontb.com for additions to this posting

IONTB will be updating this article as this storm moves closer to any landfall