Tropical Storm Debby is poised to make landfall in Florida, bringing with it the threat of heavy rain and widespread flooding. President Biden has declared an emergency for the state, authorizing the release of federal resources and coordinating disaster relief efforts through the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
The storm is expected to intensify into a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region on Monday. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) warns that flooding will be particularly severe in low-lying coastal areas, including Savannah, Georgia, Hilton Head, South Carolina, and Charleston, South Carolina. These impacts are anticipated to persist through Friday.
As Debby approaches, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 61 of the state’s 67 counties, mobilizing 3,000 members of the National Guard. Governor DeSantis highlighted the potential for significant rainfall, saturation, flooding, and power outages. In an effort to minimize the risk of power interruptions due to flooding, the state is deploying flood control devices to utility stations for the first time.
The NHC predicts Debby will gain strength as it curves off the southwest coast of Florida, where the water temperatures are extremely warm. The storm was located approximately 130 miles west-southwest of Tampa, Florida, and 160 miles south-southwest of Cedar Key, Florida, as of Sunday morning. Debby is moving north-northwest at 13 mph with sustained winds of 65 mph.
