Hurricane Debby strengthens to Category 1 as it prepares to make landfall in Florida

Last Updated 1 month by Amnon J. Jobi | Amnon Front Page

Hurricane Debby upgraded from a tropical storm to a Category 1 storm overnight.

The hurricane is expected to make landfall on the Gulf Coast of Florida Monday, with wind gusts at 80 miles per hour.

Catastrophic flooding is expected across the Southeast from Floridas Big Bend, to Savannah, Georgia, to Charleston, South Carolina. Residents are bracing for as much as 30 inches of rain and a life-threatening storm surge.

Seven Florida counties are under mandatory evacuation orders. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp have both issued states of emergency.

Dangerous storm surge and wind impacts are expected from Northeastern Florida to North Carolina through the middle of the week, according to the National Hurricane Center.

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