(Tampa) Tropical Storm DebbIt strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane as it approached Florida Sunday night, according to the U.S. Weather Service.
Debby is the fourth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season after Tropical Storm Alberto, Hurricane Beryl and the tropical storm Chrisall of which formed in June.
Forecasters warned that heavy rains from Debby could cause catastrophic flooding in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia.
Debby was expected to make landfall around noon Monday in the Big Bend region of Florida, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. A tornado watch was also in effect for parts of Florida and Georgia until 6 a.m. Monday morning.
It was expected that Debby moves east across northern Florida, then stalls over coastal Georgia and South Carolina, ravaging the region with potential record rainfall totaling up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) starting Tuesday. Officials also warned of a potentially life-threatening storm surge along Florida’s Gulf Coast, with flooding of 6 to 10 feet (2 to 3 meters) expected Monday between the Ochlockonee and Suwannee rivers.
“We’re looking at some really amazing rainfall totals, and amazing in a bad way,” Hurricane Center Director Michael Brennan said at a news briefing. “It would be a tropical cyclone rainfall record for the states of Georgia and South Carolina if we hit 30 inches.”
Flooding impacts could last through Friday and were expected to be particularly severe in low-lying areas near the coast, including Savannah, Georgia; Hilton Head, South Carolina; and Charleston, South Carolina. North Carolina officials were monitoring the storm’s progress.
Savannah city officials said the region could see a month’s worth of rain in four days if the system stalls in the area.
The Hurricane Center said as of 11 p.m. Sunday, Debby was about 100 miles (161 kilometers) west of Tampa, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 75 miles (120 kilometers) per hour (kph). The storm was moving north at 12 mph (19 kph).
The outer bands of Debby brushed the west coast of Florida, flooding streets and causing power outages. Sarasota County officials said most roads on Siesta Key, a barrier island off Sarasota, were underwater. The hurricane center had predicted the system would strengthen as it curved off the southwest coast of Florida, where the water was extremely warm.
Floods expected
In a briefing Sunday afternoon, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned that the storm could cause “really, really significant flooding that would occur in north central Florida.”
He said the hurricane would follow a similar path to Hurricane Idalia, but would be “much wetter.” “We’re going to see a lot more flooding,” he said.
A hurricane warning was issued for parts of the Big Bend region and the Florida Panhandle, while tropical storm warnings were issued for the west coast of Florida, the southern Florida Keys and the Dry Tortugas Islands. A tropical storm watch extended further west into the Panhandle.
Tropical storms and hurricanes can trigger river floods and overwhelm drainage systems and canals. Forecasters anticipate 6 to 12 inches of rain, and up to 18 inches in isolated areas of Florida.
Storm surge expected to hit Gulf Coast, including Tampa Bay
Florida is prone to flooding even on sunny days, and the storm is expected to bring surges of 2 to 4 feet (0.6 to 1.2 meters) along much of the Gulf Coast, including Tampa Bay, with storm surges of up to 7 feet (2.1 meters) north of there in the sparsely populated Big Bend region.
Forecasters warned of “life-threatening storm surge flooding danger” in an area that includes 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 called for voluntary evacuations. Shelters were opened in those and other counties.
Mr. DeSantis has declared states of emergency in 61 of Florida’s 67 counties, and the National Guard has activated 3,000 members. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster have issued their own emergency declarations.
Emergency officials in New England and New York were already monitoring the storm’s path for the possibility of remnants hitting their states. States including New York and Vermont have been hit by heavy rain and thunderstorms in recent weeks, and were still grappling with flooding and saturated ground.