Debby intensifies into hurricane threatening 10ft storm surge and historic rain in US

Hurricane Debby is nearing landfall with its eyewall moving onshore toward the Big Bend, Doppler radar images from Tallahassee obtained by the National Hurricane Center suggest.

Winds have clocked in at up to 80 mph, according to an update at 4.00am EDT from the National Hurricane Center.

The storm is about 40 miles west-northwest of Cedar Key, 80 miles south-southeast of Tallahassee and is continuing to moving to the north-northeast at 12 mph.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has warned of “life-threatening storm surge” and “potentially catastrophic rainfall”.

Florida governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 61 of Florida’s 67 counties, with the National Guard activating 3,000 guard members.

Utility crews from in and out of state were ready to restore power after the storm, he said in a post on X.

Georgia governor Brian Kemp and South Carolina governor Henry McMaster made their own emergency declarations.In Tampa alone, officials gave out more than 30,000 sandbags to barricade against flooding.

“We’ve got our stormwater drains cleared out. We’ve got our generators all checked and full. We’re doing everything that we need to be prepared to face a tropical storm,” Tampa mayor Jane Castor said.

Emergency managers in New England and New York were already monitoring the path of the storm for the possibility of remnants striking their states.

States including New York and Vermont have been hit by heavy rain and thunderstorms in recent weeks and were still coping with flooding and saturated ground.

A tornado watch was also in effect for parts of Florida and Georgia until 6am Monday.

Debby could thrash the US southeast region with potential record-setting rains totalling up to 30 inches (76 centimetres) starting from Tuesday.

The Category 1 hurricane is expected to move eastward over northern Florida on Monday and then stall over the coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina.

Officials also warned of life-threatening storm surge along Florida’s Gulf Coast, with 6 to 10 feet of inundation expected Monday between the Ochlockonee and Suwannee rivers.

“There’s some really amazing rainfall totals being forecast and amazing in a bad way,” Michael Brennan, Miami director of the NOAA’s National Hurricane Center, said at a briefing.

“That would be record-breaking rainfall associated with a tropical cyclone for both the states of Georgia and South Carolina if we got up to the 30 inch level.”

Flooding impacts could last through Friday and are expected to be especially severe in low-lying areas near the coast, including Savannah, Georgia; Hilton Head, South Carolina; and Charleston, South Carolina. North Carolina officials were monitoring the storm’s progress.

Officials in Savannah said the area could see a month’s worth of rain in four days if the system stalls over the region.

“This is going to a significant storm. The word historic cannot be underscored here,” Savannah mayor Van R Johnson said during a press conference.

Tropical Storm Debby is expected to take a path similar to Hurricane Ian in 2022, Reuters reports.

Hurricane Ian, which peaked at Category 5, killed nearly 150 people in Florida and caused billions of dollars in damage across the state.

Meanwhile, Debby hit Category 1 before it makes landfall in Florida on Monday. Its path is also similar to Hurricane Idalia in 2023, Governor Ron DeSantis said. However, Debby could impact Tallahassee more than last year’s storm.

“It may very well have more impacts in the Tallahassee area than Idalia did,” DeSantis said.

Tropical Storm Debby has strengthened into a Category 1 hurricane as it approaches Florida.

Forecasters at the National Hurricane Centre in Miami said on Sunday evening that the storm has maximum sustained winds of 75mph (120kph). It was located about 100 miles west southwest of Tampa, moving north at 12mph (19kph).

Debby is the fourth named storm of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season after Tropical Storm Alberto, Hurricane Beryl and Tropical Storm Chris, all of which formed in June.

Forecasters warn that heavy amounts of rain from Debby could spawn catastrophic flooding in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia.

AccuWeather meteorologists say Debby could rapidly intensify into a hurricane later today in the Gulf of Mexico before it makes landfall in Florida tomorrow and produce potentially catastrophic flooding across the Southeast.

“The flooding threat from Debby could lead to a life-threatening and catastrophic flooding disaster in communities across the Southeast if this storm slows down or stalls out,” said AccuWeather’s chief meteorologist Jon Porter.

“The combination of hours of relentless, heavy rain and a persistent onshore flow could prevent rivers and waterways from draining into the Atlantic, making the flooding impacts even worse.”

“Do not be lulled into any false sense of security that Debby is presently rated as a tropical storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. There are many cases, such as Florence in 2018, where a Category 1 hurricane or tropical storm caused catastrophic flooding.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has mobilized the National Guard as local officials order thousands of coastal residents to evacuate ahead of Tropical Storm Debby.

The system is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane as it makes landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region on Monday. 3,000 members of the National Guard are now standing by to help the state through “life-threatening” storm surge, heavy rain and catastrophic flooding.

“Take the situation seriously,” Paul Hasenmeier, Hernando County fire chief, told residents on Saturday night. “We know the water is going to come up as the storm passes.”

DeSantis has placed more than 60 of Florida’s counties under a state of emergency as the storm approaches. He warned that residents should prepare for “pretty catastrophic” weather.

“Just because you are not in the eye of the storm doesn’t mean you’re not going to have major, major effects,” DeSantis said on Sunday morning.