Hurricane Debby Tracks Toward Georgia and the Carolinas

Hurricane Debby made landfall in northern Florida on Monday as a Category 1 storm, bringing what forecasters say could be “historic heavy rainfall” across southwest Georgia and South Carolina’s coastal plain.

As of 10 a.m. E.T. Monday morning, approximately 280,000 Florida homes were without power. Taylor County, where Debby made landfall in the town of Steinhatchee, reported that the entire county was without power. According to the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM), approximately 17,000 linemen have been sent to help with power restoration. 

President Joe Biden approved Florida’s emergency declaration on Sunday, sending federal assistance to respond to the emergency conditions caused by Debby. The Florida Division of Emergency Management has also activated the state National Guard to help with response operations, and has 10 rotary aircrafts, and more than 400 tactical vehicles to support emergency efforts. 

The  storm is slow-moving but impactful. The National Hurricane Center warned that Hurricane Debby could cause “life-threatening storm surge” near the gulf Coast of Florida, with some 6 to 10 feet of inundation expected in the region. Forecasters say Debby has the potential to bring “catastrophic flooding,” according to the , with its heaviest impact expected through Wednesday.  

Officials are asking people to stay home. “When the water rises, when you have streets that can be flooded, that’s hazardous,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a press conference on Monday. “Don’t try to drive through this. We don’t want to see traffic fatalities adding up. Don’t tempt fate, don’t try to go through these flooded streets.”

Hurricane Debby is expected to impact Southern Georgia later on Monday and Tuesday, eventually reaching North Carolina by 2 a.m. on Saturday, according to the By then, experts believe Debby will be a tropical storm.