Hurricane Debby strengthened in the Gulf of Mexico as it bore down on Florida’s Big Bend early Monday, according to the National Hurricane Center.
What had been a tropical storm most of Sunday formed into a Category 1 hurricane before midnight, and continued to intensify overnight.
As of 5 a.m., the NHC said Debby was nearing landfall with 80 mph sustained winds as the eastern portion of the eyewall moved ashore. Its center was located about 70 miles south-southeast of Tallahassee and 45 miles northwest of Cedar Key with it moving north-northeast at 10 mph.
UPDATE: Conditions deteriorating in the northern eye wall of Hurricane Debby in Keaton Beach, Florida with shore parallel winds. Eye wall becoming better organized pic.twitter.com/Rg8NN4m0Fp
— Reed Timmer, PhD (@ReedTimmerUSA) August 5, 2024
A wind gust of 95 mph was recent recorded at a weather station on Horseshoe Beach.
Debby’s hurricane-force winds extended 45 miles from its center, and tropical-storm-force winds were observed 140 miles from Debby’s core.
“The eyewall of Debby is moving onshore and landfall in the Florida Big Bend is expected to occur within the next few hours,” said NHC senior hurricane specialist John Cangialosi. “Doppler radar images from Tallahassee indicate that the eye of the hurricane has become a bit more circular and deep convection remains fairly well organized over the eastern eyewall, and in bands east of the center that have spread across portions of northern Florida.”
A hurricane warning remains in effect for the Florida coast from Yankeetown to Indian Pass with a tropical storm warning south of Yankeetown to Boca Grande and west of Indian Pass to Mexico Beach as well as on Florida’s east coast from St. Augustine north to the South Santee River in South Carolina.
A storm surge warning is in effect for the Florida coast from the middle of Longboat Key north to Indian Pass including Tampa Bay, and on the Georgia and South Carolina coast from the mouth of the St. Mary’s River to South Santee River. A storm surge watch is in effect on the Florida coast from Englewood north to the middle of Longboat Key including Charlotte Harbor.
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
“A gradual decrease in forward speed with a turn toward the northeast and east is expected later today and Tuesday,” Cangialosi said. “On the forecast track, the center will reach the Florida Big Bend coast later this morning. Debby is then expected to move slowly across northern Florida and southern Georgia late today and Tuesday, and be near the Georgia coast by Tuesday night.”
In Central Florida, the National Weather Service in Melbourne issued a tornado watch for the region including Orange, Osceola, Lake, Volusia, Brevard and Polk counties until 6 a.m. Monday. The tropical storm watch for Lake County was changed to a tropical storm warning, meaning tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area.
“Outer rainbands of Debby will bring a threat of tropical storm-force wind gusts (up to 55 mph) overnight through Monday,” the National Weather Service said.
The NWS said additional rainfall of 2-5 inches was expected especially northwest of Interstate 4, with areas southeast to get up to 2 inches. Localized flooding is possible, the NWS said.
8:10 PM Aug 4 | A new tornado watch was just issued for portions of east Central Florida until 6 am ET Monday. #FLwx pic.twitter.com/ImzVrZszDM
— NWS Melbourne (@NWSMelbourne) August 5, 2024
The system has grown since becoming Tropical Depression Four late Friday and developing into a tropical storm on Saturday.
“You could have serious intensification between now and landfall,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis during a press conference at the state’s Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee early Sunday. “It could get up to 85, 90, 95 mph sustained wind. That is absolutely possible, particularly in parts of the state like here in Tallahassee. There’s going to be a lot of trees that are going to fall down. You’re going to have debris. You are going to have power interruption so just prepare for that.”
He said the state Department of Emergency Management had identified 17,000 lineman to work on power outages.
“We have assets in place in advance of the storm like we always do, and near the predicted areas of most severe impact,” DeSantis said, who noted the state was putting in floodwater protection around power substations for the first time.
He warned people to not focus on just the center path of the system.
“This is a big storm. I mean, you’re gonna have rain that’s going to be far beyond the center of the storm,” he said. “So just prepare for that just because you’re not in the eye of the storm does not mean you are not going to have major, major impacts from the storm.”
Department of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said the slow-moving system could bring torrential rainfall to some areas.
As #Debby moves toward the FL Big Bend area overnight, we will continue to monitor the outer rain bands especially west of Greater Orlando for gusty winds and a brief tornado. The Tornado Watch continues until 6 AM ET. #FLwx pic.twitter.com/apAr1OCJhb
— NWS Melbourne (@NWSMelbourne) August 5, 2024
“We’re going to be into a catastrophic rain situation where we have situations in Florida that will receive 15 maybe as high as 20 inches of rain,” Guthrie said.
He also warned about storm surge for coastal areas as some counties have issued mandatory or voluntary evacuation orders.
“You could be left with no time to take action if you haven’t already evacuated as instructed,” Guthrie said. “The time to do that is now.”
He also reminded Floridians to avoid floodwaters after the storm passes.
“It is never safe to be in floodwaters, and there can be many, many hidden hazards such as live electrical wires, displaced wild animals, chemicals and hazardous waste,” Guthrie said. “Simply put, floodwaters are unhealthy and unsafe to be in, so do not walk or drive into them.”
The NHC expects rainfall from 6 to 12 inches with some areas getting up to 18 inches across portions of Florida, and up to 30 inches across parts of the Southeast U.S. this weekend and through Thursday morning that could cause flash and urban flooding as well as some isolated river flooding.
“This potentially historic rainfall will likely result in areas of catastrophic flooding,” Cangialosi said.
The system had been building the last few days as a tropical wave that stretched hundreds of miles producing a large area of disorganized showers and thunderstorms moving across the northern Caribbean islands and southeastern Bahamas.
Gov. Ron DeSantis declared most counties under a state of emergency earlier this week. Floods could ensue if the system continued its current slow course or even stalled over the Florida peninsula.
In a second Sunday press conference DeSantis said northern Central Florida may see significant flooding. He said Debby’s forecast path is similar to Hurricane Idalia but it will bring much more rain than last year’s storm.
“We’re going to see much more inundation across, really across, the northern part of the state north of I-4,” DeSantis said. “But particularly in north Central Florida you’re going to have the potential for some significant flooding and that creates hazards, that creates risk, so please take care of yourself.”
DeSantis also warned of possible flooding after the hurricane passes through the state.
“There may be immediate impacts that you see but you could also see flooding that happens days afterward, after the storm passes,” DeSantis said. “Do not go into floodwaters there could be dangerous debris, there could be downed power lines.”
Guthrie said the state is already seeing impacts from the storm and urged residents of northern Florida to stay in place while Central Florida residents still have some more time.
“We have been getting information from south of Tampa Bay all the way down to Fort Meyers and Naples that there is storm surge of about two feet and that they have had several inches of rain,” Guthrie said. “Do not get out on the roadways make sure that you’re staying in doors…if you’re in northeast Florida or north Central Florida you still have some time but those hours are starting to wane.”
DeSantis said he will have another press conference on Monday morning.
The Florida National Guard has around 3,000 service members readying for response efforts, the governor’s office had stated previously in an email.
In addition, 70 members of the Florida State Guard along with nine shallow water vessels, 10 UTVs and two amphibious rescue vehicles have been staged for deployment. Seven search and rescue crews are prepared to deploy from Camp Blanding. Also, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has readied high-water vehicles and all other storm response resources statewide.
Also on Sunday, the NHC began tracking a new system with a chance to form into the season’s next tropical depression or storm.
As of the NHC’s 2 a.m. tropical outlook Monday, the tropical wave was located near the Caribbean’s Windward Islands with disorganized showers and thunderstorms.
“Environmental conditions appear generally favorable for some slow development over the next week while the system moves westward at around 20 mph over the Caribbean Sea,” forecasters said.
“Some slow development of this system is possible over the next week as the system moves quickly westward at around 20 mph, crossing the Windward Islands early this week and moving into the central and western Caribbean by the mid to latter part of this week,” forecasters said.
The NHC gives it a 10% chance to develop in the next two days and 30% in the next seven days.
If it were to form into a named storm, it could take on the name Tropical Storm Ernesto.
Tropical Storm Debby became the fourth official system of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season. The others were Tropical Storm Alberto, Hurricane Beryl and Tropical Storm Chris.
Hurricane season runs from June 1-Nov. 30, but the height of storm formation runs from mid-August into October.
