01:03
Tropical Storm Debby increases strength ahead of Florida landfall
Tropical Storm Debby continues strengthening as it nears Florida. FOX Weather Meteorologist Haley Meier has the latest from Sunday's 8 p.m. advisory.
As of Sunday at 11:00 P.M., Debby strengthened into a hurricane as it closes in on Florida. Continuous coverage of Hurricane Debby has moved here.
MIAMI – Tropical Storm Debby is close to becoming a hurricane Sunday as it barrels toward Florida's Big Bend, and impacts are already being felt in the Florida Keys and across Southwest Florida. In the latest advisory, Debby's winds were just four miles per hour short of reaching hurricane strength.
The National Hurricane Center's (NHC) Debby is expected to become a hurricane before landfall Monday. The majority of the Sunshine State remains under a state of emergency, as officials urge residents to prepare before the weather takes a turn for the worse.
01:12
Powerful waves pummel Florida's southwestern coast ahead of Debby
Video shot on Sunday shows waves violently churning off the coast of Venice, Florida. Aug. 4, 2024. (Courtesy: @CityofVeniceFL / X)
The NHC is forecasting "potentially historic rainfall" across southeast Georgia and South Carolina through Friday, causing widespread flash flooding.
"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.
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05:11
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis talks about preps for Debby
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says state officials have been preparing for impacts from Tropical Storm Debby for several days and a state of emergency has already been issued.
Hurricane and Storm Surge alerts are in effect for Southwest Florida through the Big Bend region as Debby is expected to continue to gain strength over the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect south of Cedar Key through the Everglades and along Florida's west coast to Mexico Beach. Coastal Georgia and South Carolina were also put on alert this weekend with a Tropical Storm Watch from the Florida-Georgia line at the mouth of St. Mary's River to the South Santee River in South Carolina.
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As Debby's outer bands move over Florida, Tornado Warnings and Watches are popping up across the Sunshine State from Southwest Florida to the Florida-Georgia line.
'We're expecting widespread heavy rainfall'
NHC Director Michael Brennan told FOX Weather on Saturday that Debby will be a multi-hazard event.
"The biggest hazards are usually the water, and we're expecting widespread heavy rainfall – 5-10 inches across much of Florida up into the coastal southeast U.S. (with) isolated total size of 15 inches," he said. "So certainly substantial risk for freshwater flooding and also the potential for storm surge."
00:38
Powerful wind and rain batter southwest Florida
Footage shot in Fort Myers Beach, Florida, shows sheets of rain pummeling palm trees and a parking lot as Tropical Storm Debby moves toward the Sunshine State. (Courtesy: @WxJack27 via Storyful)
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The latest forecast shows a potential landfall on Monday in Florida's Big Bend, close to where Hurricane Idalia made its historic landfall as a Category 3 hurricane last year.
There is "high confidence" in the scenario that Debby heads northeastward over the next day making landfall in the Big Bend region, according to the NHC.
If the storm hugs the coast, it could make landfall earlier, but if it stays out over the warm waters of the Gulf, then it could undergo further strengthening and become a hurricane before making landfall.
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Intense tropical downpours are expected for portions of Florida and the coastal areas of the Southeast. As Debby intensifies, there is the potential for hurricane-force wind gusts of 74 mph across the state.
Several counties such as Levy, Citrus, Hernando, Jefferson and Dixie have issued evacuation notices ahead of the worst of the flooding.
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Storm surge of 6-10 feet is possible along portions of Florida's Big Bend with 2-4 feet of water rise in Tampa Bay and Charlotte Harbor, the NHC warned.
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A flash flooding risk Monday stretches from Jacksonville, Florida, up to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. These areas are under a rare Level 4 risk on NOAA's Flash Flood scale with the highest risk of flash flooding from excessive rainfall.
"This is the area of greatest concern where we can see that really heavy rainfall unfold," Brennan said.
