Flushing Flor-i-daaaaaa's toilet...

Hurricane Debby inundates northern Florida with heavy rains and flooding

By Ayana Archie, Bill Chappell, Joe Hernandez, Rebecca Hersher

Hurricane Debby’s center made landfall near Steinhatchee, Fla., at around 7 a.m. ET Monday, bringing not only sustained winds of 80 mph but also a dire threat of flooding to the Gulf Coast and beyond, according to the National Hurricane Center.

"This potentially historic rainfall will likely result in areas of catastrophic flooding," the NHC said in a morning advisory note, warning of heavy rainfall from southeast Georgia through South Carolina and up to southeast North Carolina.

Debby came ashore about five miles west of Steinhatchee, which sits along the state's Big Bend region — where Florida's panhandle and peninsula meet. As of 11 a.m., the storm’s center was about 80 miles east of Tallahassee.

“Now that Hurricane Debby is making landfall, the most important thing to do is to just protect yourself and protect your family,” Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a Monday morning press conference. “Don’t go out into this storm. Don’t drive on the roads, particularly when they’re flooded”

DeSantis said the state began to feel the impacts from Debby on Sunday evening and throughout Monday morning. The storm has produced flooding along Florida’s west coast from Sarasota to the northern part of the state.

The National Hurricane Center called it a "life-threatening situation" and urged people in the area to "take all necessary actions to protect life and property from rising water and the potential for other dangerous conditions."

According to DeSantis, flooding had led to some “traffic mishaps” over the past 12 hours and prompted temporary road closures in certain areas.

In Taylor County, where the hurricane made landfall, the sheriff's office warned Monday morning that downed trees and power lines had “created potentially dangerous roadway conditions.”

More than 300,000 utility customers in Florida were without power early Monday afternoon, according to the website poweroutage.us.

As of 11 a.m. ET Monday, the hurricane was moving north-northeast at around 8 mph. Maximum sustained winds were near 70 mph.

The NHC upgraded Debby to a Category 1 hurricane late Sunday night; just two days earlier it had been identified as a "disturbance" over eastern Cuba with the potential to develop into a tropical storm.

Debby gained strength over abnormally warm water in the Gulf of Mexico before it made landfall in Florida. The water just off the west coast of Florida is about 5 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than usual for this time of year. Average sea surface temperatures across the North Atlantic have been in record-breaking territory for more than a year. Human-caused climate change is primarily to blame.

Warm water helps storms gain strength, as Debby did in the 24 hours before hitting land. And warmer water also causes storms suck up more moisture, which subsequently falls as heavy rain and can cause dangerous flash flooding.

Forecasters warn of a potentially deadly storm surge in Florida. And with Debby expected to move slowly over land, it will also drop heavy rain and likely trigger both urban and river flooding in the southeastern U.S.

Watches and warnings were issued for hurricane conditions and tropical storm conditions and storm surges, which were expected to range from 2 to 10 feet in Florida’s Big Bend region, from near Tallahassee down to about Tampa.

Rainfall amounts could reach between 6 and 18 inches in pockets of central and northern Florida, up to North Carolina through Saturday morning.

After leaving Florida, the center of Debby is forecasted to begin moving through southeastern Georgia Monday night and reach South Carolina by Tuesday. Parts of those states could receive at least 10 inches of rain — and certain areas may see up to 30 inches of rain through Friday morning, a potentially record-setting amount. The governors of both states have already issued states of emergency.

Tornadoes are also possible in parts of Florida, as well as southern Georgia on Monday.