Deadly Debby spreads flooding inland into Southeast

Debby made landfall in Florida's Big Bend Monday morning as a Category 1 hurricane. Now a tropical storm, Debby is expected to spread severe flooding across the Southeast this week.

The second hurricane to hit the United States this year turned deadly in Florida, turning roads into raging rivers and leaving communities underwater as it pushed inland.

At 4:30 p.m. EDT, two flash flood emergencies were in effect in northern Florida in the Lake City and Live Oak areas. The National Weather Service described the situation as "particularly dangerous" and asked residents to find higher ground. Over 20 inches of rain fell near Sarasota, Florida, during the storm, with more than a foot of rain around Live Oak, Florida, where the warnings were in effect.

Debby, now a tropical storm, continues to spread flooding into the Florida Panhandle, with rain spreading northward into South Carolina. Millions were under flood watches and warnings from Tampa, Florida, through Charleston, South Carolina.

At least 4 people have died in connection with the storm. A semi-truck driver was killed in a traffic accident on I-75 in the Tampa area, The Associated Press said. WCJB reported that a 13-year-old boy died when a tree fell on a mobile home, and the Tallahassee Democrat reported a 38-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy were killed in a car accident as Debby approached Florida with witnesses telling the Florida Highway Patrol the car lost control “due to inclement weather and wet roadway.”

At least 153,000 homes and businesses were without power in Florida Monday evening, down from 324,000 Monday morning, as Debby’s powerful winds blasted the state, according to PowerOutage.com. The outages spread into Georgia, where more than 25,000 were without service Monday afternoon.

In Union County, a possible tornado touched down Sunday night, damaging at least one home.

Debby made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane just before 7:00 a.m. EDT Monday morning near Steinhatchee along Florida's Big Bend. Maximum sustained winds were 80 mph, but a gust of 99 mph was measured near where it roared ashore. The landfall is within 20 miles of Hurricane Idalia’s landfall, a Category 3 storm that roared ashore in the Big Bend of Florida in August 2023.

Up to 6 feet of storm surge flooding occurred at Cedar Key, Florida, early Monday morning. On Sunday, a significant overwash occurred in St. Petersburg, Florida, as a 4-foot storm surge hit Tampa Bay. Rainfall since Friday topped 20 inches in the Sarasota, Florida, area.

The forecast for Hurricane Debby: Dangers loom for Georgia, Carolinas

A state of emergency has been issued in Georgia and South Carolina as residents and officials brace for flooding rain and storm surge, gusty winds and severe thunderstorms from Debby as it slows down along the Atlantic coast.

“With a potentially significant rainfall event forecast for the next few days, it is critical that residents in potentially affected areas start making preparations and plans today—in case it is necessary to take quick action,” South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster said in a statement.

AccuWeather meteorologists warn that Debby could stall along the Carolina coast this week, which may significantly exacerbate the life-threatening conditions.