Hurricane Debby, currently with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph, is looming just 40 miles west of Cedar Key, Florida, as reported by the National Hurricane Center at 2 a.m. ET. The storm is projected to intensify to 85 mph before making landfall on Monday morning.
Debby's hurricane-force winds extend up to 45 miles from its center, with tropical-storm-force winds reaching out to 140 miles, leading to hazardous conditions such as flooding and debris-covered roads in some areas.
Notably, St. Petersburg has experienced a significant amount of rainfall, surpassing its average for August in just 48 hours. Pinellas Park and Palm Harbor have reported over 11 inches of rain, exacerbating the flooding situation.
Various watches and warnings are currently in effect along the Florida coast and extending to parts of Georgia and South Carolina:
- Hurricane warning: Yankeetown to Indian Pass
- Tropical storm warning: South of Yankeetown to Boca Grande; west of Indian Pass to Mexico Beach; from St. Augustine to South Santee River, South Carolina
- Storm surge watch: Englewood northward to the middle of Longboat Key, including Charlotte Harbor
- Storm surge warning: Middle of Longboat Key northward to Indian Pass, including Tampa Bay; along the Georgia and South Carolina coast from the mouth of the St. Mary’s River to South Santee River
The primary threat posed by Hurricane Debby is flooding, stemming from storm surges and heavy rainfall. Freshwater flooding, attributed to rainfall, has emerged as the most lethal consequence of tropical systems in recent years, a danger that is exacerbated by the warming of the planet due to fossil fuel emissions.
