STEINHATCHEE, Fla. – At least four deaths have been attributed to Hurricane Debby, which made landfall along Florida’s Big Bend early Monday morning.
The now-tropical storm continues to blast the state as it moves inland with flooding rain, damaging winds and a life-threatening storm surge.
The Category 1 storm hit near Steinhatchee about 7 a.m. ET with winds estimated at 80 mph.
After landfall, power outages skyrocketed to more than 300,000 utility customers in the Sunshine State, according to PowerOutage.us.
Officials confirmed two deaths in Dixie County, Florida, as Debby approached the coastline.
A 38-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy, both from Crawfordville, were killed in a crash just before 9:30 p.m. Sunday on US Highway 19 after their car lost control and struck a guardrail.
Witnesses told troopers that it appeared as if the vehicle lost control due to the inclement weather and wet roadway.
A 13-year-old boy was also killed about 8 a.m. Monday after a tree fell on a mobile home in Levy County. No other injuries were reported, deputies said.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with this family as they deal with this tragedy,” the sheriff’s office said. “We encourage everyone to use extreme caution as they begin to assess and clean up the damage. Downed powerlines and falling trees are among the many hazards. One life is too many. Please be safe.”
A fourth person died after the tractor-trailer he was driving on southbound Interstate 75 near the Tampa Bypass Canal lost control on the wet roadway, troopers said.
The 64-year-old New Albany, Mississippi, man’s semi collided with a concrete barrier wall. The trailer came to rest hanging from the bridge while the cab separated and fell into the canal.
Divers from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office located the cab submerged approximately 40 feet below the surface with the driver found dead inside the cab.
By midweek, Debby is expected to dump extreme amounts of nearly 2 feet of rain on parts of Georgia and South Carolina.
The National Hurricane Center is forecasting “potentially historic rainfall” across southeastern Georgia and South Carolina through Friday, causing widespread flash flooding and life-threatening conditions.
The governors of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina have declared a state of emergency and are urging residents to prepare for the multiple impacts the storm will bring.
“I think what’s going to make this much different than what we had with Idalia is it is going to move very slowly once it enters Florida – it’s going to be southern Georgia, northern Florida – and it is just going to drop an inordinate amount of water on the north-central Florida region,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis told FOX Weather on Sunday.
Where is Tropical Storm Debby now?
The center of Debby is situated about 35 miles west of Lake City, Florida. The now-tropical storm’s winds are estimated at 70 mph.
What impacts will Debby have?
Flooding rain, strong winds and storm surge were already lashing the Sunshine State before Debby made landfall Monday morning.
Several feet of storm surge and hurricane-force winds are forecast to pummel Florida as the storm continues to move inland.
Views from the Fort Myers area showed feet of flooding Sunday afternoon as rainbands from Debby lashed the state.
In St. Petersburg, waves lashed the coast as tropical-storm-force winds howled.
Now that Debby has made landfall, the storm is expected to move northeastward through Florida and bring historic rain and life-threatening storm surge to Georgia and the Carolinas.
Where is Tropical Storm Debby headed?
Debby will move northeastward and track across southeastern Georgia on Monday night and Tuesday. From there, the forecast becomes less certain.
A general trend to the northeast is expected before Debby slows to a snail’s pace in the vicinity of Georgia and South Carolina by late Tuesday or Wednesday.
Where have alerts been issued for Tropical Storm Debby?
Various tropical weather alerts have been issued in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
Storm surge alerts are also up for portions of the Florida Gulf Coast, as well as the coastlines of Georgia and South Carolina.
The worst of the surge is expected between Yankeetown and the Aucilla River in Florida, where up to 6 feet of surge is forecast.
Flooding will also be a major concern with Debby. A Flood Watch has been issued in parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.
Where will the most rain fall during Tropical Storm Debby?
Debby is expected to dump tremendous amounts of rain as it moves across the southeastern US, with more than a foot of rain possible in north-central Florida and upwards of 2 feet of rain possible between Savannah, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina.
A flood risk exists anywhere along Debby’s path, but the highest risk appears to be in north-central Florida and along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina.
A Level 4 out of 4 risk zone has been highlighted by NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center for three straight days from Monday through Wednesday.
Where is the tornado threat with Tropical Storm Debby?
A few tornadoes are possible over central and northern Florida and southeastern Georgia on Monday.
The tornado threat will spread northeastward into parts of South Carolina later Monday and Monday night.
