Debby weakens, slows down after Florida landfall. 'Historic heavy rainfall' possible
In a rush? Here's everything you need to know — in less than a minute — about what's happening in the tropics .
Debby weakened quickly into a tropical storm, about 4 hours after making landfall near Steinhatchee , Florida, in the Big Bend area around 7 a.m. Monday.
Sustained winds were 80 mph, making Debby a Category 1 hurricane at the time of landfall, which came less than 12 hours after Debby strengthened from a tropical storm into a hurricane .
By 5 p.m., maximum sustained winds had dropped to 50 mph, but Debby has slowed down considerably, moving north-northeast at 6 mph.
➤ Live stream as Debby moves through Florida
➤ Power outages: Number of customers without electricity increasing around Florida
Debby is expected to cause severe flooding over the southeastern United States over the next few days.
Debby is expected to bring 6 to 12 inches of rain to Florida , with some areas seeing up to 18 inches, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Across portions of southeast Georgia, the coastal plain of South Carolina, and southeast North Carolina, 10 to 20 inches of rainfall, with local amounts to 30 inches, are expected through Saturday morning.
"Rainfall across this zone may contend with or surpass those historic, 100-year values if even around a foot of rain falls within 72 hours," AccuWeather said. Forecasters there predicted rainfall in the Southeast could hit 32 inche s in some areas.
A state of emergency is in effect for 61 of Florida's 67 counties.
Where is Tropical Storm Debby?
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Location: 30 miles southeast of Valdosta, Georgia
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Maximum sustained winds:50 mph
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Movement: northeast at 6 mph
Hurricane Debby made landfall near Steinhatchee , Florida, weakens to tropical storm
At 5 p.m., the center of Tropical Storm Debby was located near latitude 30.5 North, longitude 82.9 West.
Debby is moving toward the northeast near 6 mph. A turn toward the east is expected on Tuesday, followed by a turn to the north at a slow forward speed on Wednesday.
On the forecast track, the center will move across southeastern Georgia tonight and Tuesday, move offshore of the South Carolina coast by late Tuesday and Wednesday, and approach the South Carolina coast on Thursday.
➤ Live updates: Get the latest on Debby
Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 50 mph with higher gusts. Additional weakening is forecast through late Tuesday. Some re-strengthening is possible on Wednesday and Thursday.
Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles from the center.
The estimated minimum central pressure is 994 mb.
What to expect from Debby: A Florida city-by-city impact breakdown
Spaghetti models: Latest forecasts on where Tropical Storm Debby is heading now
Special note about spaghetti models : Spaghetti model illustrations include an array of forecast tools and models, and not all are created equal. The Hurricane Center uses only the top four or five highest performing models to help make its forecasts.
Most of the track guidance turns Debby eastward, with the center moving off the coast near the Georgia/South Carolina border in about 36 hours, according to the National Hurricane Center.
Debby should move very slowly near the South Carolina coast through 60 hours or so.
The biggest threat from this slow-moving system is extreme precipitation and flooding over the southeastern United States.
By late Tuesday and thereafter, some restrengthening is anticipated as the center moves offshore. How much Debby re-strengthens depends on how far out over the Atlantic it moves and how long it remains over water.
Hurricane, storm surge, tropical storm warnings issued
A tropical storm warning is in effect for:
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St. Augustine, Florida to South Santee River South Carolina
A tropical storm warning means that tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within 36 hours.
A tropical storm watch is in effect for:
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North of South Santee River, South Carolina to Cape Fear, North Carolina
A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, generally within 48 hours.
A storm surge warning is in effect for:
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Georgia and South Carolina coast from the Mouth of the St. Mary's River to South Santee River South Carolina
A storm surge warning means there is a danger of life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, during the next 36 hours in the indicated locations.
A storm surge watch is in effect for:
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North of South Santee River, South Carolina to Cape Fear, North Carolina
A Storm Surge Watch means there is a possibility of life- threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline, in the indicated locations during the next 48 hours.
Potential impacts from Hurricane Debby
WIND: Tropical storm conditions are expected over portions of the tropical storm warning area along the Florida and Georgia Atlantic coast through tonight. Tropical storm conditions are expected along the coast of South Carolina within the tropical storm warning area by late tonight or early Tuesday.
STORM SURGE: The combination of storm surge and tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline. The water could reach the following heights above ground somewhere in the indicated areas if the peak surge occurs at the time of high tide:
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Mouth of the St. Mary's River to Cape Fear, NC…2-4 ft
RAINFALL: Debby is expected to produce rainfall totals of 6 to 12 inches, with maximum amounts of 18 inches, across portions of central and northern Florida as well as central and northeast North Carolina through Wednesday morning. This rainfall will likely result in areas of considerable flash and urban flooding, with significant river flooding expected. Across portions of southeast Georgia, the coastal plain of South Carolina, and southeast North Carolina, 10 to 20 inches of rainfall, with local amounts to 30 inches, are expected through Saturday morning. This potentially historic rainfall will likely result in areas of catastrophic flooding.
TORNADOES: A few tornadoes are possible over southeastern Georgia and coastal South Carolina this evening through Tuesday.
SURF: Swells generated by Debby are expected to affect much of the Gulf coast of Florida through tonight. Swells will continue to affect the Southeast U.S. coast through the middle of the week. These conditions are likely to cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions.
Key messages on what Florida, US can expect from Tropical Storm Debby
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Potentially historic heavy rainfall across southeast Georgia and the coastal plain of South Carolina through Saturday morning will likely result in areas of catastrophic flooding. Heavy rainfall will likely result in considerable flooding impacts from portions of central and northern Florida and across portions of central and northeast North Carolina through Saturday morning.
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Dangerous storm surge and tropical storm conditions will spread northward along the southeast U.S. coast from northeastern Florida to North Carolina through the middle of the week. Storm Surge and Tropical Storm watches and warnings have been issued for portions of these areas. Residents in the Storm Surge watch and warning area should follow any advice given by local officials.
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In portions of Florida where Debby has passed, deadly hazards remain, including downed power lines and flooded areas. Ensure generators are properly ventilated to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Exercise caution when using chainsaws and power tools, and drink plenty of water to avoid heat exhaustion.
Current wind forecast for Debby over the coming hours
As of the 5 p.m. advisory:
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Initial:50 mph
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12 hours:40 mph, inland
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24 hours:40 mph, inland
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36 hours:40 mph, over water
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48 hours:45 mph, over water
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60 hours:50 mph, over water
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72 hours:60 mph, inland
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96 hours:35 mph, inland
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120 hours:35 mph, inland
Weather watches and warnings issued in Florida
Major flooding expected in Florida: Excessive rainfall forecast
River flooding: Real-time Florida river water levels
Florida Gov. DeSantis issues state of emergency for 61 counties
Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a state of emergency Thursday for 54 counties in preparation for the potential landfall of a storm that could become the first "significant threat" to the state.
Friday night, he added another seven counties. That brings 61 of the state's 67 counties under a state of emergency.
Interactive map: Hurricanes, tropical storms that have passed near your city
When is the Atlantic hurricane season?
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 through Nov. 30.
When is the peak of hurricane season?
The peak of the season is Sept. 10, with the most activity happening between mid-August and mid-October, according to the Hurricane Center.
What's next?
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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Hurricane Debby: Landfall, path, impacts
