Officials in Florida advised residents of the Nature Coast and Big Bend areas to prepare for Tropical Storm Debby as it approached the areas and was expected to develop into a hurricane before making a landfall. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said that Debby’s track and expected landing area were similar to what Floridians saw with Hurricane Idalia nearly a year ago. However, he said that the impact will be different.
“Idalia was close to a Category Four hurricane,” DeSantis said. “It had strong winds that ripped through the Big Bend area, caused a lot of damage, [and] a lot of debris.
The outer bands of Debby have impacted the west coast of the Florida peninsula throughout Aug. 4 as it makes its way to the panhandle. Several feet of storm surge, several inches of rain, and instances of active or minor flooding have been observed from as far south as Naples through Cedar Key and the Nature Coast.