Hurricane Debby Targets Florida's Big Bend Coast with Severe Weather

Hurricane Debby quickly turned into a strong storm on Sunday night, just hours before hitting Florida’s Big Bend coast early Monday.

The storm is expected to bring “catastrophic flooding” and heavy rain to the Southeast this week, weather experts warned.

Officials in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina have called in emergency help, opened shelters, and urged people in low-lying coastal areas to leave. Debby is expected to bring a life-threatening storm surge. Here’s what you need to know:

Debby began as a tropical storm over the Gulf of Mexico but quickly became a hurricane on Sunday night with winds reaching 80 miles per hour. It is expected to hit land early Monday.

A hurricane warning is in place for the Florida Gulf Coast, with tropical storm and storm surge warnings for the coasts of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina. Storm surges could reach up to 10 feet in some areas. The National Hurricane Center called this a “life-threatening situation.” Tornadoes are possible through Monday morning across Florida and southern Georgia.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis called in about 3,000 National Guard members to help respond to the storm. Fifteen counties issued voluntary or mandatory evacuation orders affecting thousands of residents. Officials are urging people to follow evacuation orders and prepare for power outages. In Hernando County, voluntary evacuations began Saturday night, with a local school set up as a shelter.

The National Weather Service warned of a life-threatening storm surge for Tampa and other parts of the Florida Gulf Coast. Governor DeSantis noted that Debby’s main threat will be heavy rain rather than high winds once it reaches Florida.

The Hurricane Center expects Debby to move across southern Georgia from Monday into Tuesday. Weather experts predict six to 12 inches of rain in parts of Florida throughout the week, with 10 to 20 inches in Georgia and South Carolina and up to 30 inches in some areas through Friday.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency on Saturday. South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster did the same and urged people to take warnings seriously. “It is critical that residents start making preparations in case quick action is needed,” he said.

Hurricane-force winds will occur near the storm’s center, with damaging winds extending farther out. Weather experts expect Debby to make landfall as a hurricane-strength storm over the Florida Panhandle early Monday. Last year, Hurricane Idalia brought a storm surge of up to 12 feet along parts of the same region.

People in evacuation zones still have time to reach safety. Potential catastrophic flooding from heavy rain is expected along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina from Tuesday into Wednesday.