TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Hurricane Debby reached the Big Bend coast of Florida early Monday, bringing with it the potential for catastrophic flooding and life-threatening storm surge as it slowly passes over the northern part of the state. Forecasters warned that, in the coming days, record-setting rain could pummel coastal Georgia and South Carolina as the storm heads east.
The storm made landfall as a Category 1 storm near Steinhatchee, a tiny community in northern Florida of less than 1,000 residents on Florida’s Gulf Coast. It had maximum sustained winds of 75 mph and was moving north-northeast at 10 mph, the National Hurricane Center in Miami said. The storm came ashore in one of the least populated areas of Florida, but forecasters warned heavy rain could spawn catastrophic flooding in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia.
Looking out over the Steinhatchee River from the condo above the marina he operates, Chris Williams said he was feeling blessed that the damage wasn’t worse. Williams said his power went out at about 5:30 a.m. Monday as the storm was washing ashore, jamming the dock-studded riverfront with tree debris and barrels.
The small community where Hurricane Debby made landfall is roughly 20 miles (32 kilometers) from where Hurricane Idalia crashed ashore less than a year ago.
“Two in less than a year is pretty bad,” Williams said. “You do everything you can possibly do to prepare. And when you’ve done that, clean up and put it back together and move forward.”
Forecasters said storm surge was expected to be the biggest threat for Florida, with 6 to 10 feet (1.8 to 3 meters) of inundation above ground level predicted in part of the zone near the Big Bend.
“That part of the coast is a very vulnerable spot,” John Cangialosi, a hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center, said Monday. Some areas, including Sarasota and Manatee counties, have already received 10 to 12 inches (25 to 30 centimeters) of rain.
In Georgia, the National Weather Service is predicting major flooding on some rivers: the Canoochee River near Claxton, the Ohoopee River near Reidsville and the Ogeechee River near Eden. All those rivers were below flood stage Monday but could see their water levels more than double by later in the week.
Nearly about 300,000 customers were without power in Florida and Georgia on Monday, according to PowerOutage.com.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said some 17,000 linemen are working to restore electricity. He warned residents in affected areas to sit tight until conditions are safe.
“When the water rises, when you have streets that can be flooded, that’s hazardous,” DeSantis said. “Don’t try to drive through this. We don’t want to see traffic fatalities adding up. Don’t tempt fate, don’t try to go through these flooded streets.”
A truck driver was killed early Monday after he lost control of his tractor trailer along a wet Interstate 75 in the Tampa area. In Union County, some roads were already under water and numerous trees and power lines were down. The Union County Sheriff’s Office said Monday that residents were cleaning up from a tornado that touched down in the county Sunday night, damaging at least one home. No injuries were reported.
Hurricane Debby has followed a track “very similar to Idalia 11 months ago,” DeSantis said. Hurricane Idalia came ashore near Keaton Beach, Florida on Aug. 30, 2023, with maximum sustained winds of 125 mph. Keaton Beach is about 20 miles north of Steinhatchee. He noted there were fewer power outages with Debby.
Images posted on social media by Cedar Key Fire Rescue early Monday showed floodwaters rising along the streets of the city, located south of where the storm made landfall. Water was “coming in at a pretty heavy pace,” the post said.
Debby was expected to move eastward over northern Florida and then stall over the coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina, thrashing the region with potential record-setting rains totaling up to 30 inches (76 centimeters) beginning Tuesday through Saturday morning. Flooding is expected to be especially severe in low-lying areas near the coast, including Savannah, Georgia; Hilton Head Island, South Carolina; and Charleston, South Carolina. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has called up 2,000 members of the Georgia National Guard.
