Debby leaves 6 dead, 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.

After making landfall early Monday in Florida, Debby, now a tropical storm, is moving slowly up the coast bringing life-threatening flooding to Georgia and the Carolinas.

Six people in Florida have died in accidents related to Debby. Three of them were in traffic accidents and two from fallen trees. The sixth death involved a 48-year-old man in Gulfport, Florida, who was on his anchored sailboat when the storm struck, WTSP-TV reported.”

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.