Written By Lisa Murimi
Hurricane Debby made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region early Monday morning, causing severe flooding and power outages.
The storm intensified into a Category One hurricane late Sunday, with winds reaching 80 mph and rain accumulation expected to hit 30 inches in some areas, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
The hurricane struck near Steinhatchee and is forecast to slowly move across Florida, affecting Georgia and South Carolina in the coming days.
The slow-moving nature of Debby raises concerns about historic rainfall and catastrophic flooding. Jamie Rhome of the NHC warned of “catastrophic flooding” due to the storm’s persistent heavy rains.
As the storm progresses, it will drift out over the Atlantic, continuing to impact the southeastern US with heavy rainbands before moving inland over South Carolina.
In response, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 61 counties and prepared utility crews to restore power.
With approximately 204,000 homes and businesses already without electricity, the state’s residents are bracing for significant disruption.
Hurricane Debby is the fourth named storm of the 2024 hurricane season, which NOAA predicts could see up to 25 named storms.
Climate change may be increasing the frequency of slow-moving hurricanes like Debby, altering atmospheric patterns that influence storm movement.
