Tropical Storm Debby rapidly intensified on Sunday and is expected to become a hurricane as it moves through the Gulf of Mexico towards Florida. The storm is forecasted to reach Category 1 hurricane status before making landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida on Monday. Following landfall, Debby is projected to move eastward over northern Florida and stall over coastal regions of Georgia and South Carolina, potentially causing historic rainfall and catastrophic flooding from early Tuesday through Friday.
The National Hurricane Center in Miami reported that Debby was located about 130 miles west-southwest of Tampa, Florida, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis warned residents to prepare for significant rainfall, saturation, flooding events, and possible power outages. Flood control measures are being implemented to minimize power interruptions due to flooding.
