Hurricane Debby made landfall in the Florida "Big Bend" coastal area Monday morning, bringing potentially catastrophic flooding, life-threatening storm surge and strong winds across portions of Florida and the Southeast.
Debby slammed into the coast as a Category 1 storm, moving at about 10 miles per hour with sustained winds of 80 MPH. It came ashore around 7 a.m. just five miles west of Steinhatchee.
Reports indicate the storm initially knocked out power for more than 300,000 homes and businesses as high winds toppled trees. More than 1,200 flights have been canceled.
The National Weather Service says Debby will very slowly track across northern Florida and southern Georgia today and Tuesday, then drift toward coastal Georgia and South Carolina through the middle of the week. The region is expected to see a massive amount of rain over the next 48 hours -- between 10 and 20 inches with locally higher amounts around 30 inches.
"Potentially historic heavy rainfall, associated with Hurricane Debby,
across southeast Georgia and South Carolina through Saturday morning will
likely result in areas of catastrophic flooding," said the NWS Weather Prediction Center.
That's right -- rainfall from Debby is expected to last all week, likely resulting "in considerable flooding impacts from portions of central and northern Florida and across portions of central and northeast North Carolina," the NWS said.
A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for the entire coastline, where 2 to 4 feet of surge is forecast. There is also a danger of life-threatening storm surge along portions of the Gulf Coast of Florida, where the surge could reach 6 to 10 feet.
"The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline," the NWS said.
The threat doesn't end after the hurricane passes, either. This will be a prolonged event with wind, storm surge and tornado impacts -- with the greatest threat near the coast.
"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," the NWS said. Swells are also expected to cause
life-threatening surf and rip current conditions along the Southeast U.S. coast through the middle of the week.
Since making landfall, maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 75 MPH, and additional weakening is expected as Debby moves over land today and tonight.
Debby is the second hurricane of the season, striking 28 days after Beryl hit the Gulf Coast of Texas. It's also the 4th hurricane to make landfall in Florida in August in the last two decades, following Idalia (2023), Katrina (2005) and Charley (2004).