Earth

Hurricane Debby hit Florida this morning as a Cat 1

Posted by
Kelly Kizer Whitt
and
August 5, 2024
Map of southeastern US, with hurricane path over Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
Hurricane Debby hit Florida this morning. It will move slowly over land, bringing heavy rainfall and the potential for flooding to parts of the Southeastern U.S. through Thursday. Image via National Hurricane Center.

Hurricane Debby coming onshore in Florida

Hurricane Debby came onshore in Florida’s Big Bend region on Monday morning. Tropical Storm Debby strengthened to hurricane force in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday night, August 4, 2024.

Much of the west coast of Florida is under hurricane or tropical storm warnings, along with storm surge warnings. Monday morning, Debby’s maximum sustained winds were near 80 miles per hour (128 kph). The threshold for hurricane status is 74 miles per hour (119 kph).

The focus of the storm’s impacts will now turn to Georgia and South Carolina. The storm system will stall out in this region, dumping possibly record rainfall amounts in portions of the states.

Biggest impact will be rain

The biggest impact from Hurricane Debby will be the rain. Meteorologists are calling for some 6 to 10 feet (2 to 3 meters) of inundation along the coastline of Florida’s Big Bend when the storm comes on shore Monday morning. Some coastal areas could be evacuated.

Florida and the lower Atlantic seaboard could see heavy rainfall totals extending all the way into Thursday, August 8, 2024. Forecasters are calling for some totals of 5 to 10 inches (12 to 25 cm), with local areas seeing up to 18 inches (46 cm) of rain. The heavy rains will extend up to North Carolina. Residents also need to be aware of the threat of flash flooding.

The storm’s path will take it from the Gulf of Mexico across northern regions of Florida and then toward the eastern seaboard. But after it moves over land, Debby will slow down. So some regions will deal with heavy rainfall for a long period of time.

Swaths of color over the southeastern US, darkest around South Carolina.
The National Hurricane Center said the biggest impact from Tropical Storm Debby will likely be heavy rainfall and flooding. The rain will continue through much of the week as the system slows down after landfall. Image via National Hurricane Center.

Storm-force winds

Debby’s eye should come ashore on Monday morning. Then Debby will linger over the southeastern U.S., but the strength of its winds will be dependent on whether the storm stays over land or moves back over water. However, due to its slow motion, this part of the U.S. should expect gusty winds for days.

And of course, as with any tropical storm, there are chances for tornado spin-ups. Make sure you stay weather aware if you will be in the affected area.

Visit Windy.com for a handy visualization of the winds.

The impacts from Hurricane Debby

Bottom line: Hurricane Debby came onshore in Florida’s Big Bend Region on Monday morning, August 5, 2024.

Read more: Will La Niña pump up this year’s hurricane season?

Via National Hurricane Center

Posted 
August 5, 2024
 in 
Earth

Kelly Kizer Whitt

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About the Author:
Kelly Kizer Whitt - EarthSky’s roving nature reporter on YouTube - writes and edits some of the most fascinating stories at EarthSky.org. She's been writing about science, with a focus on astronomy, for decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine and made regular contributions to other outlets, including AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club. She has nine published books, including a children's picture book, Solar System Forecast, and a young adult dystopian novel, A Different Sky.

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