Hurricane Debby has made landfall in Florida as Category 1 storm on Monday and is set to cause "catastrophic flooding" as it moves inland, according to the National Hurricane Center.
In an advisory published on Monday, the center said there is a "danger of life-threatening storm surge along portions of the Gulf Coast of Florida, with 6 to 10 feet of inundation above ground level expected somewhere between Ochlockonee River to Yankeetown."
Florida's Big Bend region is receiving the hurricane's initial impact, with a warning already in effect. "Tropical storm conditions are expected to continue for several more hours farther south within the Tropical Storm Warning area along Florida's west coast, including the Tampa Bay area."
5 am EDT: Hurricane #Debby very near landfall in the Florida Big Bend. Life-threatening storm surge expected in portions of Florida and major flooding is forecast for the southeastern U.S. Here are the Key Messages. https://t.co/tW4KeGdBFb pic.twitter.com/iPUOesfYM6
— National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 5, 2024
Looking further ahead, the Hurricane Center added that a dangerous storm surge and wind impacts are expected "along portions of the southeast U.S. coast from northeastern Florida to North Carolina through the middle of the week, and storm surge warnings and tropical storm watches and warnings are in effect for portions of these areas."
South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued a state of emergency Sunday evening, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has also done so over the weekend. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp made the same decision.
"We are looking at potentially really, really significant flooding that will happen, particularly in north-central Florida," Governor Ron DeSantis said at an emergency briefing on the storm on Sunday. President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Florida, allowing federal aid to be expedited. Almost a quarter million people are already without power in the state, according to USA Today.
Debby grew rapidly into a Category 1 storm, the lowest on a five-stage scale, thanks to unusually warm temperatures at the Gulf of Mexico.
Florida officials said some areas of the state had already received 12 inches of rain, while the maximum sustained winds were estimated at around 80 mph at landfall. Other areas are expecting up to 18 inches of rain, as well as 20 to 30 inches in coastal Georgia and South Carolina. Several universities cancelled classes for Monday as they brace for the bulk of the storm's impact.
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