Debby moved onshore early Monday morning as a Category 1 hurricane with 80-mph winds near Steinhatchee in Florida’s Big Bend. But much of Florida had been seeing heavy rains and isolated tornadoes since Sunday as Debby intensified in the Gulf of Mexico. Sunday and Monday, the outer rain bands of Debby's eastern side moved over the state bringing heavy tropical rains and spinning-up short lived tornadoes.
Later Sunday night, tropical storm force winds began blowing across parts of north and central Florida and rains became steadier and heavier in areas close to the eye. Areas south of Interstate 10 and west of Interstate 75 picked up the most rainfall, with some locations accumulating over a foot of rain through Monday afternoon.
Debby has moved northward out of the state, but not quickly. The eye is lingering in south Georgia Tuesday morning and will drift into South Carolina by midweek. This close proximity to the center of Debby’s circulation will mean that much of the same areas of north and central Florida affected by Debby on Monday will continue to be targeted by Debby’s outer bands into Wednesday.
These bands may continue to pose risks of spin-up tornadoes. The Storm Prediction Center has outlined the areas generally east of I-75 and from I-4 northward in the slight category for severe storm risk, with the severe risk being primarily from isolated tornadoes.
On Tuesday, the center of Debby continues to influence Florida forecasts. More tropical rainfall from the outer bands will keep a large portion of the peninsula in a slight risk area for flash floods. Rains Tuesday will not be as widespread, but these rain bands will still be capable of very high rain rates of over 2 inches per hour.
