News
By Renee Straker and Nicole Bonaccorso
6 days ago
At a Glance
- Debby is expected to reach hurricane strength Sunday night, before making landfall early Monday.
- “Catastrophic rain” is expected for parts of Florida.
- The storm is expected to bring as much as 20 inches of rain to parts of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.
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Flooding is the biggest threat as Tropical Storm Debby approaches the west coast of Florida, including the Big Bend region. The area is bracing for heavy rain, storm surge flooding and hurricane-force winds.
Debby is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane Sunday night before making landfall early Monday. The storm’s outer bands were already bringing gusty winds and rain to central and southern Florida and the Florida Keys on Sunday. Emergency officials have warned residents that the impacts of the storm will stretch well beyond the cone. The storm is also expected to slow down significantly once it makes landfall.
Here's what's happened so far:
(9:55 p.m. ET) Savannah Prepares For 'Significant Storm'
It's never good when a tropical system slows down over a flood-prone area, which is exactly what is feared may happen with Debby along the Southeast coast this week. That includes Savannah, Georgia, where Mayor Van. R. Johnson warned residents there is serious danger with this storm.
"This is going to be a significant storm," he said. "The word historic cannot be underscored here."
NOAA's Weather Prediction Center has placed Savannah under a "high risk" for excessive rainfall for both Monday and Tuesday; a "high risk" is only issued on about 4% of all days but those days account for one-third of all flood deaths.
(9:30 p.m. ET) 'Dozens Of 911 Calls' In One Florida County
Pinellas County emergency managers said they were receiving "dozens of 911 calls" as people were stuck in homes or vehicles as floodwaters rose this evening. Pinellas County is west of Tampa and is home to Clearwater and St. Petersburg.
Rain and storm surge persisted for hours this evening, which contributed to the worsening flooding, both along the coast and inland.
(8:33 p.m. ET) State Of Emergency Declared For 61 Florida Counties, All Of Georgia
Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 61 of Florida’s 67 counties Sunday, activating 3,000 members of the National Guard.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency for all 159 of the state’s counties Saturday, ahead of the storm.
(8:10 p.m. ET) Public Schools, University Classes Canceled
Two Georgia school districts announced school closures due to Debby's impending arrival. Glynn County will postpone the first day of school by one day due to Debby, opening on Thursday rather than Wednesday. Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools will dismiss students early Monday and be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The University of Florida said on Sunday that classes will be canceled and the university closed on Monday due to Debby.
(7:55 p.m. ET) Flooding, Downed Trees Close Roads In St. Petersburg
Several roads were closed in St. Petersburg Sunday evening due to street flooding and downed trees. Local police were warning people to avoid dangerous roads, especially those with standing water. There were also numerous abandoned vehicles on roads throughout the city, according to a Facebook post from the St. Petersburg Police Department.
(7:07 p.m. ET) Flood Rescues Underway In Manatee County, Flash Flood Warning Upgraded
The National Weather Service in Tampa reported that water rescues were beginning in southern Manatee County as the area experienced fresh water flooding.
The NWS upgraded the flash flood warning to “considerable.” Almost two million people are under a flash flood warning in the Tampa Bay area, and officials have been warning people in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties to move to higher ground and to avoid approaching floodwaters on foot or by car.
— Pinellas County EM (@PinellasEM) August 4, 2024Advertisem*nt
‼️🌀 Significant flooding ongoing across #Pinellas (Pictures via City of Oldsmar Fire). Flash Flood Warning and Storm Surge Warning remain in effect for all of Pinellas County. If experiencing flooding, take actions now! https://t.co/c58U9QtyEr #FLwx #TSDebby pic.twitter.com/cXhLX7OSrb
(6:42 p.m. ET) Tallahassee International Airport To Close At Midnight
Tallahassee International Airport issued a statement on its website stating that the airport will close at midnight and reopen at noon Monday, “pending it is safe to do so.” The airport urged customers to verify the status of their flights via their airline.
(5:39 p.m. ET) Evacuations Ordered In Florida’s Alachua County
Residents in mobile homes, manufactured homes and RVs in Alachua County were ordered to evacuate ahead of Debby’s arrival.
People living close to bodies of water as well as those in low-lying areas prone to flooding in the county were encouraged to evacuate as well, county officials said in a statement released Sunday.
The county opened three shelters for evacuees, two in Gainesville and one in Newberry.
(5:09 p.m. ET) Debby Causes Hundreds Of Flight Cancellations And Delays, Changes Cruise Itineraries
More than 1,000 flights were delayed and more than 300 canceled between Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale International Airport, according to FlightAware.com.
Cruises were changing their itineraries as well due to Debby, with some returning to Florida destinations early, some rescheduling stops in the state to later in the week and others skipping Florida altogether.
(4:30 p.m. ET) Feet Of Storm Surge Hitting Western Florida
Storm surge is already inundating parts of western Florida, with four feet measured in Cedar Key. In Fort Myers, where two feet of storm surge was reported, the northbound side of the Edison Bridge was closed due to flooding and the southbound side was reduced to one lane of traffic.
Roads were underwater in Sanibel Island and Captiva, and storm surge was affecting nearby Cayo Costa island, according to the News-Press.
Sanibel’s Fire and Rescue District was warning people to avoid flooded areas as high tide approached.
“Please be safe and stay indoors until this storm passes,” Sanibel Fire and Rescue District posted on Facebook. “Please do not drive down West Gulf Drive between Tarpon Bay Road and Rabbit Road. It is heavily flooded in areas and will be a danger for vehicles to pass. Please remain inside and avoid driving anywhere on Sanibel Island until much of the water recedes.”
(3:00 p.m. ET) Coast Guard Urges People To Move Boats Inland, Ports Remain Open To Commercial Traffic
The U.S. Coast Guard sent out an alert updating port conditions for Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. While the ports remain open to commercial traffic Sunday, large barges were urged to make plans to depart. They also warned that within eight hours of landfall, most bridges would be locked down and would not open until the storm passed. Boat owners were also urged to move their vessels to inland marinas.
(2:30 p.m. ET) Flooding Swamps Roads In Bradenton, Florida
There are storm surge warnings for Bradenton, Florida. Multiple roads in the city were already flooded and shut down Sunday afternoon.
(2:15 p.m. ET) South Carolina’s Governor Declares State Of Emergency
Governor Henry McMaster issued an emergency declaration for South Carolina pointing to the heavy rain from Debby that could linger for days. He urged residents to make emergency preparations and plans today.
(1:44 p.m. ET) Threat Of Tornadoes Sunday And Overnight
From weather.com digital meteorologist Jonathan Belles: Debby's eastern side will bring a threat of tornadoes and waterspouts likely into the overnight hours as the tropical storm grazes the Florida peninsula. Tornadoes are a common feature on the right side of tropical storms and hurricanes due to the added spin and moisture that tropical systems bring with them. Debby will also bring gusty to potentially damaging winds to the peninsula and the Florida Big Bend through the rest of Sunday. Power outages are possible and that potential will increase on Monday as what will likely be Hurricane Debby comes ashore in north Florida.
(1:00 p.m. ET) Tornado Watch For Parts Of Florida And Georgia
The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for parts of Florida and Georgia until 8 p.m. ET. Possible tornadoes were reported in Zolfo Springs and Bowling Green, Florida.
(12:44 p.m. ET) Flooding In Fort Myers Beach, Florida
Rain from Tropical Storm Debby has already flooded multiple roads and cars in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Drivers were urged to stay off the roads.
