Debby Downgraded to Tropical Storm

Aug. 24, 2000 -- Though Hurricane Debby was downgraded to a tropical storm, visitors to the Florida Keys Wednesday were ordered to leave as officials braced for the possibility of the storm’s arrival.

Hurricane Debby is now Tropical Storm Debby, with winds just under the 74 mph minimum to be a hurricane. A ridge of high pressure forced Debby to the south, where the storm has starved, blocked from open water by the mountains of Hispaniola, said Max Mayfield of the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

But Debby could become a hurricane again when it hits the straits between Hispaniola — the island where Haiti and the Dominican Republic are located — and Cuba sometime tonight, he warned. With Debby still miles and days away, Monroe County, which encompasses the Keys island chain, declared a state of emergency. “ I don’t want people to let down their guard, because it still has a good chance to come back and regain hurricane status,” Mayfield said. “ We are forecasting it to be very near south Florida and the Keys within three days’ time.”

By midday, the storm was just north of the Dominican Republic, moving west-northwest at 16 mph with 70 mph winds.

Computer models have sent mixed signals about whether the storm will strengthen and about where it will go — up through Florida or out into the Gulf of Mexico, Mayfield said.

Hurricane warnings were posted for the Turks and Caicos, the southeastern Bahamas and the north coast of the Dominican Republic. A hurricane watch was in effect for the rest of the Bahamas and northern Haiti. Cuba posted a hurricane watch for its northeast coast and was expected to extend it westward.

Ghost of Hurricane Andrew

Miami has so far seen only a few light showers, but residents who remember the devastation of Hurricane Andrew eight years ago are taking this weaker storm seriously.

“It’s good to be prepared because even if the hurricane doesn’t hit, we may still get blackouts,” said Clara Milanes, 64, who bought a battery-powered light and candles at a Miami-area Wal-Mart.

Floridians are preparing but not panicking, stocking up on food, water, batteries, and plywood to board up windows. Emergency managers suggest a two-week supply of food per person and per pet. Officials are telling people to listen to weather reports, but that they don’t know how hard the storm will hit.

“We’re like everybody else,” said Elizabeth Hirst, spokeswoman for Gov. Jeb Bush. “In the wait-and-see mode.”

If Floridians want hurricane insurance, they better act fast. The state’s largest storm insurer, the Florida Windstorm Underwriting Association, will stop offering policies when the storm passes west of a line roughly at the Haiti-Dominican Republic border, which Debby is expected to hit this afternoon.

Other insurers will shut down new sales either when the storm crosses that line or when the National Weather Service declares a hurricane watch or warning, said Sam Miller of the Florida Insurance Council.

Banks require most coastal homes to have hurricane and flood insurance. But consumers rush to upgrade coverage on homes when storms are forecast, and boats sometimes aren’t insured, Miller said.

“If you don’t have insurance on your boat, you may scramble around,” he said.

Caribbean Spared

The storm swerved north Tuesday and largely spared Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Schools and offices were closed, a state of emergency declared in Puerto Rico and a curfew slapped down in the Virgin Islands. The Western Hemisphere’s largest oil refinery, on St. Croix, reduced production, ships were sent away from local ports and airports closed.

Puerto Ricans said they were taking no chances because of the way Hurricane Georges devastated the island in September 1998. That island got heavy rain this time; St. Thomas and St. John got intermittent winds and rain, according to the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism.

“Here on St. John, we didn’t even get a good rain,” rental property manager Donald Schnell said.

Puerto Ricans are still on guard. They’ve seen heavy rain since the hurricane passed, and are worried about the possibility of flash floods and mudslides.

There was one death reported: a 78-year-old San Juan man was killed Tuesday when he fell off a roof as he tried to dismantle atelevision antenna, police said.

On nearby St. Maarten, which has been battered by hurricanes in recent years, a curfew was lifted and meteorologist Ashford James celebrated the passage of “Little Debby.”

ABCNEWS.com’s Leela Jacinto and Sascha Segan and The Associated Press contributed to this report.