Debby Storm Track Hurricane Live Updates | Weather.com (2024)

News

By Renee Straker and Nicole Bonaccorso

August 05, 2024

Debby Storm Track Hurricane Live Updates | Weather.com (1)

At a Glance

  • Debby is expected to reach hurricane strength Sunday night, before making landfall early Monday.
  • “Catastrophic rain” is expected for parts of Florida.
  • The storm is expected to bring as much as 20 inches of rain to parts of Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas.

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Flooding is the biggest threat as Tropical Storm Debby approaches the west coast of Florida, including the Big Bend region. The area is bracing for heavy rain, storm surge flooding and hurricane-force winds.

Debby is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane Sunday night before making landfall early Monday. The storm’s outer bands were already bringing gusty winds and rain to central and southern Florida and the Florida Keys on Sunday. Emergency officials have warned residents that the impacts of the storm will stretch well beyond the cone. The storm is also expected to slow down significantly once it makes landfall.

Here's what's happened so far:

(​9:55 p.m. ET) Savannah Prepares For 'Significant Storm'

I​t's never good when a tropical system slows down over a flood-prone area, which is exactly what is feared may happen with Debby along the Southeast coast this week. That includes Savannah, Georgia, where Mayor Van. R. Johnson warned residents there is serious danger with this storm.

"This is going to be a significant storm," he said. "The word historic cannot be underscored here."

N​OAA's Weather Prediction Center has placed Savannah under a "high risk" for excessive rainfall for both Monday and Tuesday; a "high risk" is only issued on about 4% of all days but those days account for one-third of all flood deaths.

(​9:30 p.m. ET) 'Dozens Of 911 Calls' In One Florida County

P​inellas County emergency managers said they were receiving "dozens of 911 calls" as people were stuck in homes or vehicles as floodwaters rose this evening. Pinellas County is west of Tampa and is home to Clearwater and St. Petersburg.

R​ain and storm surge persisted for hours this evening, which contributed to the worsening flooding, both along the coast and inland.

(8:33 p.m. ET) State Of Emergency Declared For 61 Florida Counties, All Of Georgia

Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 61 of Florida’s 67 counties Sunday, activating 3,000 members of the National Guard.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency for all 159 of the state’s counties Saturday, ahead of the storm.

(8:10 p.m. ET) Public Schools, University Classes Canceled

Two Georgia school districts announced school closures due to Debby's impending arrival. Glynn County will postpone the first day of school by one day due to Debby, opening on Thursday rather than Wednesday. Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools will dismiss students early Monday and be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The University of Florida said on Sunday that classes will be canceled and the university closed on Monday due to Debby.

(7:55 p.m. ET) Flooding, Downed Trees Close Roads In St. Petersburg

Several roads were closed in St. Petersburg Sunday evening due to street flooding and downed trees. Local police were warning people to avoid dangerous roads, especially those with standing water. There were also numerous abandoned vehicles on roads throughout the city, according to a Facebook post from the St. Petersburg Police Department.

(7:07 p.m. ET) Flood Rescues Underway In Manatee County, Flash Flood Warning Upgraded

The National Weather Service in Tampa reported that water rescues were beginning in southern Manatee County as the area experienced fresh water flooding.

The NWS upgraded the flash flood warning to “considerable.” Almost two million people are under a flash flood warning in the Tampa Bay area, and officials have been warning people in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties to move to higher ground and to avoid approaching floodwaters on foot or by car.

Advertisement

‼️🌀 Significant flooding ongoing across #Pinellas (Pictures via City of Oldsmar Fire). Flash Flood Warning and Storm Surge Warning remain in effect for all of Pinellas County. If experiencing flooding, take actions now! https://t.co/c58U9QtyEr #FLwx #TSDebby pic.twitter.com/cXhLX7OSrb

— Pinellas County EM (@PinellasEM) August 4, 2024

(6:42 p.m. ET) Tallahassee International Airport To Close At Midnight

Tallahassee International Airport issued a statement on its website stating that the airport will close at midnight and reopen at noon Monday, “pending it is safe to do so.” The airport urged customers to verify the status of their flights via their airline.

(5:39 p.m. ET) Evacuations Ordered In Florida’s Alachua County

Residents in mobile homes, manufactured homes and RVs in Alachua County were ordered to evacuate ahead of Debby’s arrival.

People living close to bodies of water as well as those in low-lying areas prone to flooding in the county were encouraged to evacuate as well, county officials said in a statement released Sunday.

The county opened three shelters for evacuees, two in Gainesville and one in Newberry.

(5:09 p.m. ET) Debby Causes Hundreds Of Flight Cancellations And Delays, Changes Cruise Itineraries

More than 1,000 flights were delayed and more than 300 canceled between Miami International Airport and Fort Lauderdale International Airport, according to FlightAware.com.

Cruises were changing their itineraries as well due to Debby, with some returning to Florida destinations early, some rescheduling stops in the state to later in the week and others skipping Florida altogether.

(4:30 p.m. ET) Feet Of Storm Surge Hitting Western Florida

Storm surge is already inundating parts of western Florida, with four feet measured in Cedar Key. In Fort Myers, where two feet of storm surge was reported, the northbound side of the Edison Bridge was closed due to flooding and the southbound side was reduced to one lane of traffic.

Roads were underwater in Sanibel Island and Captiva, and storm surge was affecting nearby Cayo Costa island, according to the News-Press.

Sanibel’s Fire and Rescue District was warning people to avoid flooded areas as high tide approached.

“Please be safe and stay indoors until this storm passes,” Sanibel Fire and Rescue District posted on Facebook. “Please do not drive down West Gulf Drive between Tarpon Bay Road and Rabbit Road. It is heavily flooded in areas and will be a danger for vehicles to pass. Please remain inside and avoid driving anywhere on Sanibel Island until much of the water recedes.”

(3:00 p.m. ET) Coast Guard Urges People To Move Boats Inland, Ports Remain Open To Commercial Traffic

The U.S. Coast Guard sent out an alert updating port conditions for Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. While the ports remain open to commercial traffic Sunday, large barges were urged to make plans to depart. They also warned that within eight hours of landfall, most bridges would be locked down and would not open until the storm passed. Boat owners were also urged to move their vessels to inland marinas.

(2:30 p.m. ET) Flooding Swamps Roads In Bradenton, Florida

There are storm surge warnings for Bradenton, Florida. Multiple roads in the city were already flooded and shut down Sunday afternoon.

(2:15 p.m. ET) South Carolina’s Governor Declares State Of Emergency

Governor Henry McMaster issued an emergency declaration for South Carolina pointing to the heavy rain from Debby that could linger for days. He urged residents to make emergency preparations and plans today.

(1:44 p.m. ET) Threat Of Tornadoes Sunday And Overnight

From weather.com digital meteorologist Jonathan Belles: Debby's eastern side will bring a threat of tornadoes and waterspouts likely into the overnight hours as the tropical storm grazes the Florida peninsula. Tornadoes are a common feature on the right side of tropical storms and hurricanes due to the added spin and moisture that tropical systems bring with them. Debby will also bring gusty to potentially damaging winds to the peninsula and the Florida Big Bend through the rest of Sunday. Power outages are possible and that potential will increase on Monday as what will likely be Hurricane Debby comes ashore in north Florida.

(1:00 p.m. ET) Tornado Watch For Parts Of Florida And Georgia

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for parts of Florida and Georgia until 8 p.m. ET. Possible tornadoes were reported in Zolfo Springs and Bowling Green, Florida.

(12:44 p.m. ET) Flooding In Fort Myers Beach, Florida

Rain from Tropical Storm Debby has already flooded multiple roads and cars in Fort Myers Beach, Florida. Drivers were urged to stay off the roads.

Debby Storm Track Hurricane Live Updates | Weather.com (2024)

FAQs

Where is there a hurricane right now? ›

There are currently no active storms in the North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, or Gulf of Mexico. Click each image above to view the full-size image.

Where is Hurricane Debby in 2024? ›

Debby made landfall in the Big Bend region of Florida's panhandle, as a category 1 hurricane on the morning of August 5th, 2024, then crossing Florida and Georgia, hugging the southeast coast as a tropical storm.

What is the best website for hurricane information? ›

You can find these products on www.hurricanes.gov for the Atlantic and eastern North Pacific or www.weather.gov/cphc for the Central Pacific; on TV, radio, and cell phones; and NOAA Weather Radio. Information on NWS tropical cyclone watch, warning, advisory, and outlook products is detailed below.

Where was Hurricane Debby located? ›

Last week, NOAA satellites tracked Debby, a storm that impacted Florida's Big Bend region near Steinhatchee before moving up the East Coast, causing widespread flooding and damaging winds as far north as New York state with numerous destructive tornadoes along its path.

Is there a storm in Florida today? ›

Weather Summary for the Next 24 Hours:

Nearby upper-level disturbances and breezy easterly to southeasterly winds will pull in abundant tropical moisture across South Florida today, allowing for scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms with the sea breezes this afternoon and evening (60-80% chance of rain).

What was the worst hurricane in history? ›

Great Galveston Hurricane

Where did Debbie hit? ›

Hurricane Debby this year made landfall near Steinhatchee, Florida, in the state's Big Bend on August 5. Tracking inland, it weakened to a tropical storm hours later but still caused four deaths.

What year was hurricane Debbie? ›

On September 16th 1961 Hurricane Debi devastated much of the west coast of Ireland, including Bundoran as is evident from the picture below.

Has there ever been a hurricane Jessie? ›

Hurricane Jessie is a devastating, destructive and powerful category 5 major hurricane that formed in the MDR region near Cape Verde that caused destruction and a devastating tornado outbreak towards the United States of North Carolina, Virginia, and Ohio.

Which hurricane track is most reliable? ›

The new HAFS-B model outperformed all the other models for 3-, 4-, and 5-day forecasts, and beat the official forecast for 5-day forecasts. The European model was the best model for the shorter lead times from 12 to 72 hours, and it outperformed the official 3-day forecasts from NHC.

What is the best live hurricane tracker? ›

Hurricane Tracking
  • NOAA National Hurricane Center. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is the trusted source for hurricane information. ...
  • NOAA GOES Satellite Imagery. ...
  • NOAA's nowCOAST. ...
  • Marine Weather Portal. ...
  • WeatherFlow StormTrack. ...
  • Real Time Florida Coastal Guidance.

What category is Hurricane Debby in 2024? ›

Hurricane Debby was a slow-moving and erratic Category 1 hurricane that caused widespread flooding across the Southeastern United States in early August 2024.

Are there any hurricanes coming to Florida? ›

There are currently no active storms in the North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, or Gulf of Mexico.

How long do hurricanes last in Florida? ›

The eye of a storm is usually 20-30 miles wide and may extend more than 400 miles. The dangers of a storm include torrential rains, high winds, and storm surges. A hurricane can last for two weeks or more over open water and can run a path across the entire length of the eastern seaboard.

Where is Hurricane Island now? ›

Hurricane Island is an island in Penobscot Bay, Maine. Beautiful pinkish-grey granite was quarried here from 1870 to about 1914. The island is now uninhabited, but during the time granite was produced there was a company town with a year round population of about 250.

Where are hurricanes in USA? ›

States along the Atlantic coast or by the Gulf of Mexico are most vulnerable to hurricanes, with Florida as the most prone to landfall. Since 1851, over 300 hurricanes have made landfall in the United States, affecting 19 states.

Where is hurricane area in Florida? ›

The southeast coastline is extremely susceptible to a land-falling hurricane, followed by the panhandle. Areas around Tampa, Jacksonville and the Big Bend do not have as high of a risk of a direct strike from a hurricane but are still susceptible to a landfall each year.

What is the hurricane track? ›

The live hurricane tracker allows users to see the paths of previous hurricanes on this season's hurricane map, as well as interact with the current hurricane tracker satellite imagery while accessing National Hurricane Center data and information.

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