Steinhatchee, Florida Hurricane Debbie made landfall along Florida’s Big Bend early Monday morning, battering the state with flooding rains, destructive winds and life-threatening storm surge.
The Category 1 storm struck near Steinhatchee around 7 a.m. ET with sustained winds of more than 80 mph.
By the middle of the week, the storm is expected to dump heavy rainfall, up to about two feet, on parts of Georgia and South Carolina.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is predicting “record-breaking rainfall potential” across southeast Georgia and South Carolina through Friday, causing widespread flash flooding and life-threatening conditions.
The governors of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina have declared states of emergency and urged residents to prepare for a range of impacts from the storm.
“I think what’s going to be really different about this hurricane compared to Idalia is that it’s going to move very slowly into southern Georgia, northern Florida and then dump a lot of rain on north-central Florida,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told Fox Weather on Sunday.
Where is Hurricane Debbie now?
Hurricane Debby is centered over Big Bend, Florida.
What impact will Debbie have?
Flooding rain, strong winds and a storm surge were already being observed across Florida before the storm made landfall on Monday morning, and a storm surge of several feet and hurricane-force winds are expected to hit Florida as the storm moves inland.
From the Fort Myers area, rainbands from Debby slammed into the state Sunday afternoon, causing feet of flooding. In St. Petersburg, tropical storm-force winds gusted and waves crashed on the coast.
Now that Debby has made landfall, the storm is expected to move northeast through Florida, bringing record rainfall and life-threatening storm surge to Georgia and the Carolinas.
Where will Hurricane Debbie go?
Hurricane Debby will move in a northeasterly direction after landfall. From there, the forecast becomes more uncertain. A general northeasterly movement is expected until Debby slowly slows near Georgia and South Carolina.
Where were the warnings issued for Hurricane Debbie?
Various tropical weather warnings are in effect for Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, with hurricane warnings centered around the Big Bend region, where winds of at least 74 mph are expected.
Storm surge warnings have been issued for much of Florida’s Gulf Coast, as well as the coastlines of Georgia and South Carolina. The most severe storm surge is expected between Yankeetown and the Ochlockonee River in Florida, where a storm surge of up to 10 feet is expected.
Flooding from Hurricane Debby will also be a major concern, with flood watches issued for parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
Where will the most rain fall during Hurricane Debbie?
Hurricane Debby is expected to dump large amounts of rain as it moves across the southeastern United States, with more than a foot of rain possible in north-central Florida and more than two feet of rain possible between Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina.
Flooding is a risk everywhere along Debby’s path, but the highest risk appears to be in north-central Florida and coastal areas of Georgia and South Carolina, where NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center highlighted Level 4 danger zones for three consecutive days, Monday through Wednesday.
