Tropical Storm Debby warnings are revised
Karen Pennland and walks in the rain and wind from Tropical Storm Fay August 19, 2008 in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Tropical Storm Debby has Florida, Alabama and Louisiana on storm watch as it lashed the Gulf coast with heavy winds and rain Sunday.
Shifting its forecast, the US National Hurricane Center said late Sunday that Tropical Storm Debby is expected to travel north for several days before making landfall midweek in the Florida Panhandle or Alabama, USA TODAY reported.
Previous forecasts said Debby was moving west toward Louisiana or Texas.
According to Reuters, Debby was meandering slowly toward the Florida coast on Sunday bringing rain and gusts of wind.
That forced about a quarter of offshore oil and gas production in the Gulf of Mexico to be suspended, USA TODAY reported.
Citing a "significant change in the forecast track," the NHC said Debby is expected to hit the Florida Panhandle near Panama City on Thursday, Reuters reported.
More from GlobalPost: Tropical Storm Debby churns in the Gulf of Mexico
The Associated Press said parts of Alabama and Florida, including the Panhandle, remained under tropical storm warnings.
The latest forecast map showed the center of the storm 100 miles south-southwest of Apalachicola, Fla. Forecasters predict a slight strengthening of the storm is possible over the next two days.
The story you just read is not locked behind a paywall because listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Now more than ever, we need your help to support our global reporting work and power the future of The World. Can we count on you?