Hurricane Debby

Hurricane Debby was a compact but impactful Category 1 hurricane that rapidly intensified over the eastern Gulf of Mexico before striking Florida’s Big Bend. Debby made landfall just west of Steinhatchee at peak intensity with 80 mph winds and a minimum pressure of 979 mb, then weakened inland, curved northeast, and later made a second landfall near Bulls Bay, South Carolina. The storm’s broad wind field and slow progression produced significant storm surge along Florida’s Nature Coast, prolific rainfall from Florida into the Carolinas, dozens of tornadoes—including an EF-3 in North Carolina—and notable loss of life and damage across the Southeast.

Overview

• Storm Intensity: Category 1 hurricane at Florida landfall
• Max Winds: 80 mph (70 kt)
• Formation: August 3, 2024 as a tropical depression about 65 n mi WSW of Camagüey, Cuba
• Landfall: Just west of Steinhatchee, Florida at 1100 UTC (7:00 AM EDT) on August 5, 2024; second landfall near Bulls Bay, South Carolina around 0600 UTC (2:00 AM EDT) on August 8, 2024
• Minimum Pressure: 979 mb at Florida landfall

Timeline

• August 3, 2024: Forms near Cuba and becomes Tropical Storm Debby later the same day.
• August 4, 2024: Rapidly intensifies over the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
• August 5, 2024: Makes landfall near Steinhatchee, Florida at Category 1 strength (70 kt).
• August 6 to 7, 2024: Weakens inland, then moves offshore near Georgia and South Carolina.
• August 8, 2024: Comes ashore near Bulls Bay, South Carolina and continues northeast.

Impacts

• Storm surge: Up to 6 ft above ground level between Keaton Beach and Cedar Key, with 2–4 ft as far south as Naples and around 3.0 ft storm tide in Tampa Bay.
• Wind: Highest measured near landfall at Cedar Key (45 kt sustained, 58 kt gust), with multiple 50–60 kt gusts across Florida’s west coast including Egmont Channel and the Skyway Pier.
• Rain and flooding: Florida swath of 5–10 inches with 10–15 inches locally and a state maximum of 16.98 inches near Sarasota. South Carolina totals reached 15–20 inches with a storm-total maximum of 22.02 inches near Moncks Corner; numerous rivers reached major flood stage and several set records.
• Tornadoes: At least 26 tornadoes while Debby was a tropical cyclone, including an EF-3 near Lucama, North Carolina.
• Fatalities and damage: 18 fatalities and over $4 billion (USD) in combined U.S. and Canada damage.

Source

The information above is sourced from the National Hurricane Center’s Tropical Cyclone Report. You can view the full document here.

Media

Photos

Data