TAMPA, Fla. — The center of Hurricane Debby is projected to make landfall on the Big Bend coast of Florida early Monday, bringing with it potentially record-breaking rainfall, catastrophic flooding, and life-threatening storm surge. The storm is expected to move slowly across northern Florida before stalling near the coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina.
As of Sunday evening, Debby was situated approximately 100 miles west of Tampa, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph. The National Hurricane Center reported that the storm was traveling north at 12 mph.
Debby marks the fourth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, following Tropical Storm Alberto, Hurricane Beryl, and Tropical Storm Chris, which all emerged in June.
Forecasters have raised alarms about heavy rainfall from Debby, warning it could lead to catastrophic flooding in Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia. The storm is anticipated to make landfall around midday Monday in the Big Bend area, about 16 miles south of Tampa. A tornado watch has also been issued for parts of Florida and Georgia until 6 a.m. Monday.
Local business owner Sheryl Horne expressed her concerns, stating, “Right now, we are trying to secure everything from floating away,” as her family prepared for potential impacts along the Wakulla River in St. Marks, Florida.
The sparsely populated Big Bend region, which was affected by Hurricane Idalia last year, is expected to bear the brunt of Debby’s heavy rainfall, with totals potentially reaching up to 30 inches beginning Tuesday.
Officials have warned of dangerous storm surge along Florida’s Gulf Coast, projecting inundation of 6 to 10 feet in certain areas between the Ochlockonee and Suwannee rivers. Michael Brennan, director of the hurricane center, noted, “There’s some really amazing rainfall totals being forecast and amazing in a bad way,” which could result in historic rainfall levels for both Georgia and South Carolina.
Flooding impacts are likely to persist through Friday, with the worst conditions expected in low-lying areas, including Savannah and Charleston, which could experience a month’s worth of rain within just four days if the system stalls.
Debby’s outer bands have already begun to flood streets and cause power outages along Florida’s west coast. Sarasota County officials reported that most roadways on Siesta Key were submerged.
Governor Ron DeSantis warned that the storm could result in “really, really significant flooding” in North Central Florida, emphasizing that it would follow a similar path to Hurricane Idalia but would be “much wetter.”
In response to the storm, a hurricane warning has been declared for parts of the Big Bend and Florida Panhandle, while tropical storm warnings are in effect for Florida’s West Coast and the southern Florida Keys. Tropical storm watches extend further west into the Panhandle.
Forecasters anticipate 6 to 12 inches of rain, with isolated areas receiving up to 18 inches. With Florida’s flat terrain, the risk of flooding is heightened, and storm surges of 2 to 4 feet are expected along much of the Gulf Coast, with a storm tide of up to 7 feet in the Big Bend region.
Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in Coastal Citrus and Levy counties, while voluntary evacuations are in place for Hernando, Manatee, and Pasco counties, with shelters opened to assist residents.
Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast indicated that around 21,000 people reside in the evacuation zone. Residents in flood-prone areas have been actively moving belongings to higher ground in preparation for the impending storm.
DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 61 of Florida’s 67 counties, with 3,000 members of the National Guard activated and utility crews on standby for post-storm recovery efforts. In Tampa, officials distributed over 30,000 sandbags to mitigate flooding.
Emergency declarations have also been made by governors in Georgia and South Carolina. As the storm evolves, emergency managers in New England and New York continue to monitor its path for potential impacts in those states, which are still recovering from recent heavy rains and flooding.
