Hurricane Debby will bring heavy rains and catastrophic flooding to Florida, Georgia and South Carolina

TAMPA, Fla. – The center of Hurricane Debby is expected to make landfall on Florida’s Big Bend coast early Monday, bringing potential record rainfall, catastrophic flooding and a life-threatening storm surge as it slowly moves north of the state before to blockade the coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina.

Debby was located about 100 miles (161 kilometers) west of Tampa, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 75 mph (120 km/h). The storm was moving north at 12 mph (19 km/h), the National Hurricane Center in Miami said late Sunday.

Debby is the fourth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, following Tropical Storm Alberto, Hurricane Beryl and Tropical Storm Chris, which all formed in June.

Forecasters warned that heavy rains from Debby could cause catastrophic flooding in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia.

The storm was expected to make landfall around noon Monday in the Big Bend area of ​​Florida, about 16 miles (26 kilometers) south of Tampa, the hurricane center said. A tornado watch was also in effect for parts of Florida and Georgia until 6 a.m. Monday.

“Right now, we have to try to secure everything from floating away,” said Sheryl Horne, whose family owns Shell Island Fish Camp along the Wakulla River in St. Marks, Florida, where some customers have moved their boats inland.

The sparsely populated Big Bend region of the Florida Panhandle was also hit 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,” ​​Horne said.

Debby was expected to move east over northern Florida and then stall over coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina, pummeling the region with potential record rainfall of up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) beginning Tuesday.

Officials also warned of a life-threatening storm surge along Florida’s Gulf Coast, with 6 to 10 feet (1.8 to 3 meters) of flooding expected Monday between the Ochlockonee and Suwannee rivers .

“There are some really amazing rainfall totals in the forecast, and amazing in a bad way,” Michael Brennan, director of the hurricane center, said in a briefing. “It would be a tropical cyclone rainfall record for both Georgia and South Carolina if we hit the 30-inch mark.”

Flooding impacts could last into Friday and are expected to be particularly severe in low-lying areas near the coast, including Savannah, Georgia; Hilton Head, South Carolina; and Charleston, South Carolina. Officials in North Carolina were monitoring the storm’s progress.

Savannah officials said the area could see a month of rain in four days if the system stalls over the region.

“This will lead to a significant storm,” Mayor Savannah Van. R. Johnson said during a press conference.

Debby’s outer bands grazed the west coast of Florida, flooding streets and causing power outages. Sarasota County officials said most of the roads on Siesta Key, a barrier island off the coast of Sarasota, were under water. The hurricane center predicted the system would strengthen as it curved off the southwest coast of Florida, where the water was extremely warm.

At a conference call Sunday afternoon, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned that the storm could lead to “really, really significant flooding that’s going to happen in North Central Florida.”

The storm will 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 watch was issued for parts of the Big Bend and Florida Panhandle areas, while tropical storm warnings were posted for Florida’s West Coast, the southern Florida Keys and the Dry Tortugas. 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 warned of 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters) of rain and up to 18 inches (46 centimeters) in isolated areas of Florida.

A storm surge is expected to hit the Gulf Coast, including Tampa Bay

Flat Florida is prone to flooding even on sunny days, and the storm was predicted to bring a 2- to 4-foot (0.6 to 1.2 meter) surge along most of the Gulf Coast , including Tampa Bay with a storm surge of up to 7 feet. (2.1 meters) further north in the Big Bend region.

Forecasters warned of “the danger of life-threatening flooding” in a region that includes Hernando Beach, Crystal River, Steinhatchee and Cedar Key. Officials in Citrus and Levy counties ordered a mandatory evacuation of coastal areas, while those in Hernando, Manatee, Pasco and Taylor counties called for voluntary evacuations. Shelters were opened in these and other counties.

Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast estimated that 21,000 people live in his county’s evacuation zone.

Residents, businesses prepare for flooding

Residents of Steinhatchee, Florida, which was flooded during Hurricane Idalia, spent Sunday moving items to higher ground.

“I have been here for 29 years. It’s not the first time I’ve done it. get used? No,” Mark Reblin said as he moved items from the liquor store he owns.

Employees at Savannah Canoe and Kayak in Georgia said they were busy tying down their boats, putting down sandbags and lifting equipment off the ground. Mayme Bouy, the store’s manager, said she wasn’t too concerned about the forecast calling for a potential historic rain event.

“But we have some tides this week, so if the rain comes then it could be bad,” added Bouy. “Better to be safe than sorry.”

Governors declare emergency before landing

DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 61 of Florida’s 67 counties, with the National Guard activating 3,000 guardsmen. Utility crews from in and out of the state were ready to restore power after the storm, he said in a post on X.

In Tampa alone, officials gave out more than 30,000 sandbags to barricade against flooding.

“We cleaned our storm water drain. We have our generators all checked and full. We’re doing everything we can to be prepared for a tropical storm,” said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster issued their own emergency declarations.

The northeast coast is also bracing for stormy conditions

Emergency managers in New England and New York were monitoring the storm’s path for the possibility of remnants hitting their states. Northeastern states, including New York and Vermont, were hit by heavy rains and storms in recent weeks and were still dealing with flooding and saturated ground.

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Chandler reported from Montgomery, Alabama. Jake Offenhartz contributed from New York.