SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — As Tropical Storm Debby approaches, Seminole County residents are taking necessary steps to prepare. The county has provided free supplies and dirt for residents to make their own sandbags.

What You Need To Know

  • As Tropical Storm Debby moves through the Gulf of Mexico, it is forecast to strengthen and could become a hurricane before making landfall Monday in the Big Bend region

  • Seminole County provided free supplies for residents to make their own sandbags

  • One resident, who moved from Atlanta, said she is taking the extra steps to make sure she's prepared for the severe weather

  • Track the storm

Kelly Noble, who moved to Florida from Atlanta after living in Chicago and Boston, says preparing for storms is new to her.

“Usually, these are salt bags for snow. This is definitely very different,” she said.

After Hurricane Ian hit in 2022, Noble realized she needed to be better prepared.

“We had just moved here. So, I remember seeing neighbors with sandbags and thought, ‘Oh my gosh, should we have bought them?’ I had no idea,” said Noble. 

Heavy rain this summer has increased flooding concerns in Noble’s neighborhood. She said water isn’t draining properly, raising worries about the potential impacts of Tropical Storm Debby.

“The foundation of the ground has deteriorated, especially near our pool equipment and on the other side of the house,” said Noble.

Noble prepared 10 sandbags and expressed gratitude to the county for providing the resources.

“When the weather forecast alerted us, I saw the notification about the sand and bags. It was a very nice courtesy from the county. We weren’t prepared last time,” she said.