Debby, the fourth named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, has intensified into a Category 1 hurricane, as confirmed by the National Hurricane Center. With maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, the storm is currently situated approximately 100 miles west-northwest of Tampa, Florida.
Forecasts indicate that Debby is on track to hit Florida's Big Bend region on Monday morning. Following landfall, the hurricane is projected to move gradually across northern Florida and southern Georgia throughout Monday and Tuesday, eventually nearing the Georgia coast by Tuesday night.
Prior to its upgrade to a hurricane, Debby had already begun to unleash heavy rainfall on various parts of the state while still classified as a tropical storm. The storm is anticipated to bring potentially record-breaking amounts of precipitation to the southeastern United States.
Debby marks the second hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season, following Hurricane Beryl which struck Texas in the previous month. Notably, the occurrence of the second hurricane in the Atlantic typically falls around August 26th; however, the 2024 season is progressing ahead of the usual schedule.
