A “potentially historic rainfall” of 10 to 20 inches could be coming to the southern part of Georgia this week due to what has now become Hurricane Debby, bringing dangerous levels of rain to low-lying areas and causing several school districts to delay the first day of classes for thousands of returning youngsters.
“This potentially historic rainfall will likely result in areas of severe and widespread flash and urban flooding, with significant river flooding expected,” the NWS stated Sunday. Gov. Brian Kemp has issued a State of Emergency due to the threat from Debby, which turned into a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico by Saturday evening.
And on Sunday evening, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he was sending a team of specialists from California to assist a Federal Emergency Management Agency “incident supprt team.”
“California stands with the people of Georgia as the threat of Tropical Storm Debby approaches,” Newsom said in a statement. “As we continue combatting wildfires in California, we’re grateful to have support from other states, and with these specialized teams, we’re glad to do the same to help save more lives.”
The approaching storm registered 75 mph Sunday night, upgrading it from a tropical storm to a hurricane, according to the NWS. Forecasters from the National Hurricane Center expect the storm to make landfall along the Big Bend coast of Florida on Monday morning. More than 16 counties in Florida were under a tornado watch Sunday night as rain pummeled the Gulf Coast and areas to the east of it. The cities under the watch included Punta Gorda, Sarasota, Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater.
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay was closed Sunday night due to high winds.
Ahead of landfall, President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration for Florida to allow for the coordination of federal relief efforts.
On Sunday evening, Debby was west of Tampa, traveling north-northwest at about 12 mph, according to the NWS.
The storm is expected to begin to deluge south Georgia as early as Monday morning. Rivers will rise, trees will fall, and power lines will snap, the NWS warned. The agency cautioned drivers to avoid driving into water that appears to be shallow, because the currents could be swift and the water deeper than expected. The agency also advised people to prepare for life-threatening rainfall that may block a person’s ability to escape because of the large amounts of water that could accumulate.
At 6:13 p.m., the National Weather Service in Tallahassee, Fla. changed its tropical storm warning for Brooks, Lanier and Lowndes County -- home to Valdosta -- to a hurricane warning. This would be the second time in less than a year that Valdosta and surrounding areas would be hit by hurricane winds and rain, as Hurricane Idalia brought damaging winds and flooding to the area.
The NWS also warned of extensive flooding in the Flint River Valley of Southwest Georgia, which includes Albany.
As Debby leaves Florida’s Big Bend, it is then projected to slowly move northeast along the Atlantic seaboard, the NWS said. After moving inland, Debby is expected to weaken, and tropical storm conditions are possible along the coast of Georgia Monday night.
On the Georgia coast, Chatham County schools will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. In nearby Glynn County, home to Brunswick and the Golden Isles, the start of school year is being delayed until Thursday.
The winds will mainly impact the eastern Florida Panhandle and the Big Bend region, but parts of southwestern and southeastern Georgia could see significant flooding and rain, the NWS reported. Waterways may overflow, causing floodwaters to enter structures.
On Sunday evening, the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency said the core of the storm should move into Valdosta on Monday morning, with rainfall of about 10-15 inches. Heavy gusting winds of up to 50 mph are expected later in the central portion of the state. Debby could stall along the Georgia coast on Wednesday, which would led to even more rainfall and flooding.
“They are calling it a 500 to 1,000 year storm, so with that we are extremely concerned about flooding,” stated GEMA Director Chris Stallings during a press conference Sunday afternoon. The NWS warned of prolonged power outages and that “streams, creeks and ditches may become raging rivers.” The agency also warned that flooding, which could be the worst damage from the storm in Georgia and the Carolinas, could occur after the rain and winds have moved on and swollen rivers spill over their banks in the storm’s wake.
Credit: Katelyn Myrick/AJC
Credit: Katelyn Myrick/AJC
Delta has issued a travel waiver for several cities in Florida as well as Valdosta. It is allowing people who have flights booked to, from or through those cities this weekend through Monday to reschedule their flights to avoid the impact of the storm without paying a higher fare, subject to certain conditions.
Georgia has not had a major hurricane make landfall on its coast since the late 1800s, but even glancing blows from storms have caused serious damage in low-lying areas. A recent study in the scientific journal Nature found about 135 square miles of land around Savannah are at risk of flooding during high tide, the most exposed area of 32 U.S. coastal cities examined.
Parts of southern Georgia are under a tornado watch until 8 p.m. Sunday. Southeastern portions of the state could see between 2 and 4 inches of rain by Monday night. Wind speeds are expected to remain within the 10 to 15 mph range, with gusts between 20 and 25 mph throughout Monday, the NWS added.
As the storm moves northeast and into southeastern Georgia, as current forecasts suggest, rain totals could reach between 10 to 20 inches through Friday morning, the NHC reported on Sunday morning. Some areas, like Savannah, are more likely to experience that higher precipitation amount.
During a press conference Sunday afternoon, Chatham Emergency Management Agency Director Dennis Jones, who has been with the county for more than a quarter-century, said the projected rainfall was the most he had ever experienced. He said 20 inches of rain was about two to three times what the area normally sees in a month.
“We are talking about an unprecedented level of rain that we haven’t seen in this area for a very long time,” Jones said.
How much rainfall will depend on when and where the storm stalls out, but it could impact areas that normally don’t flood, officials said. The rain should begin on Monday and increase overnight into Tuesday. Jones didn’t anticipate closing the Talmadge Memorial Bridge, and the airport is planning to stay open to support airline traffic. Sand bags will be offered at various locations. Officials in Glynn County were also closely monitoring the storm and there were 1,000 storm bags available Sunday, with a limit of 10 per household.
Credit: Katelyn Myrick
Credit: Katelyn Myrick
Jones said the county was placed under a state of emergency until mid-day Friday to free up statewide resources and put measures in place so things can be moved around the county regardless of jurisdiction. Georgia will remain under a State of Emergency until Thursday, Kemp said.
“As the state prepares for a major storm system early this coming week, we urge all Georgians to take precautions to keep their families and property safe,” the governor posted online.
As of late Sunday, North Georgia was to be spared the effects of Debby.
Rain chances in North Georgia will decrease to 20% on Monday, though some showers may still pop up in the afternoon and evening. And then it will be back to lots of sunshine for the metro area.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
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