Hurricane watchers are anxiously monitoring the waters off French Guiana as a tropical disturbance continues to gain strength, increasing the chances of a storm formation named Debby. This development has raised concerns for potential havoc along the southeast coast.

Earlier this month, Hurricane Beryl carved a destructive path through Texas and up the Mississippi valley, leaving at least eight people dead and over 2.7 million without power. Since then, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) has been closely monitoring the progression of Debby, which could potentially intensify east of the Lesser Antilles.

According to the Texas Storm Chasers, the chances of tropical development have jumped to 40 percent within the next seven days. The NHC has issued a warning for residents along the Florida coastline to keep a vigilant eye on the situation, as August tends to be a busy month for hurricanes.

The low-pressure system's trajectory will depend on two high-pressure systems currently positioned over Bermuda and the plains. The NHC initially raised concerns on Friday, noting the tropical disturbance's potential interaction with an approaching tropical wave. Since then, the likelihood of Debby's formation has nearly tripled, prompting Weather Jamaica to issue an Orange alert, cautioning that Debby's arrival is imminent.

Forecast maps indicate the possible path of the storm, suggesting it could sweep across the Caribbean and Florida if it develops, or make landfall anywhere from the Gulf of Mexico to the Carolinas. The presence of a substantial high-pressure system near Bermuda could potentially redirect Debby towards Texas, while another system over the southern plains could drive it up the eastern seaboard.

WJBF forecaster Miller Hyatt expressed the awakening of the tropics, pointing out that a disturbance is brewing in the central Atlantic. However, the development of this potential storm is currently slowed by Saharan dust. Nevertheless, conditions may change in the coming week.

If Debby does form, it would only be the fourth named storm or hurricane of the 2024 season, which initiated with Storm Alberto in June. Hurricane Beryl became the earliest-recorded Category 5 hurricane as it ravaged Jamaica, Grenada, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Debby's predecessor, Hurricane Beryl, weakened to a Category 1 as it approached Texas, but still brought heavy rainfall, causing severe flooding and leaving a trail of destruction. The storm dumped up to 14 inches of rain in a state recovering from previous storms in May. Tragically, the hurricane spawned 16 tornadoes, resulting in the deaths of a 53-year-old man in Humble and a 74-year-old woman north of Houston.

The NHC has stated that there is a moderate chance of the current disturbance developing into Tropical Storm Debby, with the odds increasing over the weekend. The environmental conditions are forecasted to become more conducive to development within the next couple of days, potentially leading to a tropical depression forming midweek near or over the northern Leeward Islands, Greater Antilles, or southwestern Atlantic Ocean.

Experts, such as Michael Estime of Fox Weather, believe that unusual conditions, including the presence of Saharan dust, may have helped protect the Caribbean from severe weather so far this year. However, as the dust subsides, the potential for storms to intensify and cause damage increases.

As the situation continues to evolve, authorities and residents are preparing for the possibility of Tropical Storm Debby, urging vigilance and readiness in the face of potential threats along the southeast coast.