TAMPA, Fla. — As Tropical Storm Debby grazed the Tampa Bay area last August, many Floridians treated it like any other summer rainstorm: Inflatable floats dotted Bayshore Boulevard, curious onlookers flocked to the beach and drivers plowed through pooling floodwaters.

But Debby’s ugly side soon appeared.

About a day after the storm passed, the Alafia River swelled to nearly 20 feet, its highest level in seven years. Homes in Lithia and Riverview were inundated with floodwater. All told, the storm claimed 17 lives in the U.S., strengthening to a Category 1 storm at its peak but never becoming a major hurricane.

Researchers point to Debby as just one recent example of what’s wrong with how tropical cyclone risk is communicated. Forecasters in Tampa Bay warned about possible flash flooding

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