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CatastropheUnited States of America

Storm Debby makes landfall in Florida

August 5, 2024

Storm Debby, which turned into a Category 1 hurricane, is likely to bring historic rainfall levels and catastrophic flooding in the states of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

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Flood water blocks a section of Dodecanese Blvd at the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks as Hurricane Debby lands on Florida's Gulf Coast on August 5, 2024
Tarpon Springs, located on Florida's Gulf Coast, braced itself for the incoming hurricaneImage: Douglas R. Clifford/Tampa Bay Times/AP/picture alliance

Tropical Storm Debby rapidly strengthened into a full-fledged hurricane late Sunday and made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida's Gulf Coast on Monday.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) warned of record-setting rainfall and storm surges.

As it made landfall, Debby had maximum sustained winds of 75 miles per hour (120 kilometers an hour) and was heading north-northeast at 10 mph (17 kph), according to the NHC. The hurricane slammed into the town of Steinhatchee, a town of fewer than 1,000 people on the Gulf Coast. 

The NHC has forecast life-threatening conditions, including storm surges up to 10 feet (3 meters) in some areas.

This satellite image provided by NOAA shows Tropical Storm Debby as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida
Debby turned into the second hurricane originating from the Atlantic in 2024Image: NOAA/AP/picture alliance

 Once it makes landfall, Debby will likely slowly move north through the week, the NHC said.

"This is going to be the story of this storm," Jamie Rhome, the deputy director of the hurricane center said in a Facebook live. "It's slow motion is going to dump historic amounts of rainfall — potentially over 20 inches (50.8 cms). You're talking about catastrophic flooding." 

Potentially record-setting rainfall

Debby is expected to dump up to 12 inches of rain in parts of Florida, and as much as 20 to 30 inches in coastal Georgia and South Carolina before the week is over, the NHC said, describing it as a "potentially historic heavy rainfall."

This is likely to cause catastrophic flooding in central-north Florida, while Georgia and South Carolina are braced for the worst later in the week.

"We are looking at potentially really, really significant flooding that will happen, particularly in north-central Florida," state Governor Ron DeSantis told an emergency briefing on the storm Sunday.

Debby is also expected to cause life-threatening storm surges of up to 10 feet (3 meters) in some areas, the NHC said.

Evacuation and preparations

Mandatory evacuations were ordered late Saturday for part of Citrus County, Florida, with eight other counties under voluntary evacuation orders, as per local media.

Both DeSantis and Rhome urged Floridians to complete their preparations and brace for the storm. 

Workers place plywood over the windows of a business as they prepare for the arrival of Tropical Storm Debby
Some 3,000 members of the National Guard are on standby in FloridaImage: Joe Raedle/Getty Images

State of emergency in Georgia and South Carolina

Governors of Georgia and South Carolina declared a state of emergency.

Meanwhile Florida's DeSantis activated the state's National Guard with 3,000 service members on standby.

Weather forecasters expect 2024 to bring a large number of hurricanes originating in the Atlantic ocean, due to exceptionally warm sea waters. The season, which began on June 1, is likely to surpass that of 2005 which brought the devastating Katrina and Rita hurricanes.

So far, 2024 has seen one hurricane — Beryl — from the Atlantic, which became the earliest category 5 hurricane on record. 

Storm Beryl leaves trail of destruction in Caribbean, Texas

wd, mk/jsi (Reuters, AFP)