Hurricane Debby Threatens Florida Gulf Coast

Tropical Storm Debby brought strong winds, heavy rainfall and storm surge to Florida as it barreled toward the state's Gulf Coast.

The storm strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane and is expected to have additional strengthening before making landfall.

The center of Hurricane Debby is expected to reach the Big Bend coast of Florida bringing potential record-setting rains, catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge as it moves slowly across the northern part of the state before stalling over the coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina.

Debby was located about 70 kilometers west of Cedar Key, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 130 kph. The storm was moving north at 19 kph, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said.

The storm was expected to make landfall around midday in the Big Bend area of Florida, north of Tampa, the hurricane center said.

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

The sparsely populated Big Bend region in the Florida Panhandle also was hit last year by Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane.

Officials also warned of life-threatening storm surge along Florida’s Gulf Coast, with 1.8 to 3 meters of inundation expected between the Ochlockonee and Suwannee rivers.

Flooding impacts could last through Friday and are expected to be especially 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.

Officials in Savannah said the area could see a month’s worth of rain in four days if the system stalls over the region.