Hurricane Debby Nears Florida as It Brings Heavy Rain Across the Southeast: NPR
Hurricane Debby is moving closer to land along the northwest coast of Florida on Monday as forecasters warn of a potentially deadly storm in the state and flooding across the southeastern United States.
As of 5 a.m. ET Monday, the storm had wind speeds of 80 mph and was about 45 miles northwest of Cedar Key, Florida. according to the National Hurricane CenterForecasters upgraded Debby to a Category 1 hurricane Sunday night.
Watches and warnings have been issued for hurricane and tropical storm conditions as well as storm surge, which is expected to range from 2 to 10 feet in Florida’s Big Bend region, where the curvature of the state stretches from near Tallahassee down to Tampa.
Rainfall amounts could reach 6 to 18 inches in some areas of central and northern Florida, up to North Carolina by Friday morning. Tornadoes are also possible in those areas of Florida, as well as southern Georgia on Monday.
Debby is expected to move through Georgia and South Carolina after leaving Florida. Areas in those states could see at least 10 inches of rain, up to a record 30 inches, by Friday morning.