The center of Hurricane Debby is expected to reach Florida’s Big Bend coast early Monday, potentially bringing record-breaking rainfall, devastating flooding and life-threatening storm surge as it moves slowly through the upstate and stalls over coastal areas of Georgia and South Carolina.
Debby was located about 40 miles west of Cedar Key, Florida, and had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami said early Monday that the storm was moving north at 12 mph.
Debby is the fourth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, following Tropical Storm Alberto, Hurricane Beryl and Tropical Storm Chris, which formed in June.
Forecasters warned that heavy rains from Debby could cause devastating flooding in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia.
The storm is expected to make landfall around noon Monday in Florida’s Big Bend region north of Tampa, according to the hurricane center.
Tornado watches were also issued until 6 a.m. Monday for parts of Florida and Georgia.
“Right now we’re doing everything we can to keep everything from washing away,” said Cheryl Horn, owner of Shell Island Fish Camp on the Wakulla River in St. Marks, Fla., where some clients have moved their boats inland.
The sparsely populated Big Bend region of Florida’s Panhandle was also hit hard last year by Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane.
“I’m used to storms and I’m used to cleaning up after storms,” Horn said.
Debby is expected to move east across northern Florida before stalling over the Georgia and South Carolina coasts and dumping up to 30 inches of record rain on the region starting Tuesday.
Officials also warned of life-threatening storm surges along Florida’s Gulf Coast, with flooding of 6 to 10 feet expected between the Ochlockonee and Suwannee rivers on Monday.
“The amount of rainfall that’s expected is very surprising, and it’s surprising in a bad way,” Hurricane Center director Michael Brennan said at a briefing.
“If rainfall reaches 30 inches, it would be a record-breaking tropical storm rainfall total for both Georgia and South Carolina.”
Flooding effects could continue through Friday and are expected to be especially severe in low-lying areas near the coast, including Savannah, Georgia, Hilton Head, South Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina. North Carolina officials are monitoring the storm’s progress.
Officials in Savannah said the storm could dump a month’s worth of rain in four days if it stalls over the region.
“This is going to be a pretty big storm. Historic is the word that doesn’t describe it,” Savannah Mayor Van R. Johnson said at a news conference.
Debby’s outer swath grazed Florida’s west coast, flooding roads and causing power outages.
Sarasota County officials said most of the roads on Siesta Key, a barrier island off the coast of Sarasota, were underwater.
The hurricane center predicted the storm would strengthen as it curved off the southwest Florida coast, where the waters are much warmer.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned at a press conference Sunday afternoon that the storm “has the potential to cause very severe flooding in north-central Florida.”
The storm is on a similar track to Hurricane Idalia, but “will produce a lot more rain. There will be a lot more flooding,” he said.
A hurricane warning was issued for parts of the Big Bend and Florida Panhandle regions, and a tropical storm watch was issued for the west coast of Florida, the southern Florida Keys, and the Dry Tortugas. A tropical storm watch extended farther west into the Panhandle.
Tropical storms and hurricanes can cause rivers to overflow, overwhelming drainage systems and canals, and forecasters warned that isolated parts of Florida could get 6 to 12 inches of rain, with up to 18 inches.
Storm surge expected to hit Gulf Coast, including Tampa Bay
Flat Florida is prone to flooding even on sunny days, and the storm was expected to bring a 2-4 foot storm surge to much of the Gulf Coast, including Tampa Bay, and up to 7 feet further north in the Big Bend region.
Forecasters warned of “the risk of life-threatening storm surge flooding” in areas including Hernando Beach, Crystal River, Steinhatchee and Cedar Key.
Officials in Citrus and Levy counties ordered mandatory evacuations of coastal areas, while officials in Hernando, Manatee, Pasco and Taylor counties urged voluntary evacuation. Evacuation shelters were opened in those and several other counties.
Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast estimated that 21,000 people live within the county’s evacuation zone.
Residents, businesses prepare for floods
Residents of Steinhatchee, Florida, flooded by Hurricane Idalia, worked Sunday to move items to higher ground.
“I’ve been here 29 years. This is not my first time. Do you get used to it? No,” Mark Revlin said as he carried merchandise out of the liquor store he owns.
Workers at Savannah Canoe and Kayak in Georgia said they were busy tying down boats, putting down sandbags and lifting equipment off the ground.
Store manager Mayme Bui said she wasn’t too worried about forecasts of potentially historic rainfall.
“But there are some high tides this week, so if it rains around that time it could be a problem,” Bui added. “It’s better to be safe than sorry.”
Governors declare states of emergency before typhoon makes landfall
Governor DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in 61 of Florida’s 67 counties and activated 3,000 National Guard troops.
Power company crews from around the state and beyond were preparing to restore power after the storm, he said in a post on X.
In Tampa alone, officials distributed more than 30,000 sandbags to prevent flooding.
“Our storm drains have been cleared. Our generators have all been inspected and are full. We’re doing everything we need to do to prepare for a tropical storm,” Tampa Mayor Jane Kastl said.
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster have each declared states of emergency.
Northeast Coast prepares for storm
Emergency managers in New England and New York were monitoring the storm’s path in case remnants of the storm could hit their states.
Northeastern states, including New York and Vermont, have been hit by heavy rain and thunderstorms in recent weeks and are still dealing with flooding and waterlogged ground.
