JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Action News Jax’s First Alert Weather Team says Tropical Storm Debby is headed toward the Western Atlantic.
Debby hit the Florida Big Bend area as a Category 1 hurricane at 7 a.m. on Tuesday with maximum winds of 80 mph and minimum pressure at 979 mb.
Chief Meteorologist Mike Buresh says concerns for Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia are centered around heavy rain, rough seas and surge, a high rip current risk and gusty winds.
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He says squalls, heavy rain and storms will impact Eastern Georgia and the Carolinas with extremely heavy rain from Savannah to Charleston. There’s also a risk of isolated tornadoes and waterspouts.
Some additional wrap-around bands of heavy rain should be expected early Wednesday for Southeast Georgia and parts of Northeast Florida.
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Buresh wants to remind viewers that the impacts from Debby will occur many miles from the center and outside the forecast cone. Forecasts also remain in flux and subject to change.
The storm could head up the Carolinas to New England.
LISTEN: Mike Buresh ‘All the Weather, All the Time’ Podcast
Here’s the specifics for Northeast Florida/Southeast Georgia with the current forecast track:
RAINFALL: The more north and west over North Florida and Southeast Georgia, the greater the rain amounts have been. More than a foot has been measured for some areas near and north of I-10 northward into Southeast Georgia. Locally heavy rain will still occur Tuesday into early Wednesday as multiple bands rotate southeast across the area but amounts won’t as high as the last 1-2 days. It appears a resurgence of heavier rain will be possible Tuesday afternoon and night from Southeast Georgia into Northeast Florida at least as far south as I-10. Additional rainfall in these areas should average 1-2″ but locally 3″+. Amounts will taper off considerably to the south and west (approximately west of Highway 301 & south of Highway 16 in Fl.).
WIND: Sustained winds will subside to 10-20 mph through Tuesday evening with gusts 30-40 mph. While not particularly strong, the saturated soil will allow for some trees to be more susceptible to being uprooted. Gusty winds are still likely Wednesday.
INTERACTIVE RADAR: Keep track of the rain as it moves through your neighborhood
OCEAN: Seas will slowly subside to 4-8 feet feet off the Georgia and Florida coast. Surf will average 3-6 feet. Offshore winds - a decent westerly component - will seriously clean up the surf but beware of rip currents.
RIP CURRENTS: A high to very high rip current risk at area beaches. The best advice is to stay out of the ocean.
STORM SURGE: Little. The majority of the flooding will be due to rainfall. But some surge will occur along coastal Georgia - possibly as much as 1-3 feet. Some flooding at times of high tide will continue for the intracoastal and along the St. Johns River and its tributaries.
Read: Talking the Tropics With Mike: Debby headed for the Western Atlantic
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