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Gov. Scott Declares State Of Emergency Ahead Of Debby

MIAMI (CBSMiami) — Governor Rick Scott believes Tropical Storm Debby will have a far-reaching impact on Florida.

The governor declared a state of emergency for all Florida counties this afternoon, well in advance of the storm's landfall, which could be anywhere from the Florida Big Bend to Tampa.

The measure allows state officials to allocate the necessary resources for Debby. The storm has already caused 35,000 customers to lose power along the Gulf Coast, according to Bryan Koon, the state's emergency management chief.

Koon does not expect that figure to grow significantly, though he says it could fluctuate over the next few days.

The storm has punished central Florida with heavy rains of four to eight inches in the past 24 hours. Also in that time, the National Hurricane Center's official storm track changed from a northern Gulf Coast landfall to Northeast Florida.

No forecast model brings Debby into South Florida.

Tropical storm warnings are up for most of Florida's Gulf Coast, providing many Floridians with the hurricane season's first dry run.

Tracking Tropical Storm Debby

Get complete details on Tropical Storm Debby at our Tropical Weather Section, complete with maps, storm tracks, and an interactive planner.

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