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AccuWeather.com reports voluntary evacuations have been issued for one county of Florida, while Debby moves along slowly unleashing heavy rain.
Major flooding is occurring across portions of Florida as unrelenting rain continues. One to two feet of rain has already poured down across portions of northern and central Florida. Sanborn, Fla., received 20.10 inches of rain in 24 hours alone.
Emergency management officials issued a voluntary evacuation notice late Monday evening for residents in low-lying areas of Wakulla County, Fla., due to dangerous flooding.
The Florida Highway patrol closed a portion of I-10, the main interstate highway through northern Florida, early Tuesday morning.
Unfortunately, up to another foot of rain will be unleashed across north-central Florida.
The storm has also spawned nearly two dozen tornadoes, which downed power lines, damaged homes and businesses and flipped semi trucks. More damaging winds from thunderstorms and tornadoes are possible as Debby churns in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. Central Florida has the greatest risk of severe weather.
According to the National Weather Service, Debby has already claimed the lives of two people.
LATEST UPDATES:
7:54 a.m. Tuesday EDT: A house was surrounded by water near Woodbine, Ga.
7:38 a.m. Tuesday EDT: U.S> Highway 90 is flooded and closed in downtown Live Oak, Fla. Several vehicles are reported to be in parking lots with water up to the top of wheelwells about 1.5 feet deep.
6:50 a.m. Tuesday EDT: AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Bill Deger reports that several rivers and waterways in northern Florida are experiencing major flooding or near-record flooding. They include the North Fork Black Creek near Middleburg, the Anclote River at Elfers and the Litle Manatee River at Wimauma.
5:40 a.m. Tuesday EDT: The heaviest rain from Debby is now pushing into southeastern Georgia. Rain will continue to fall at a rate of more than an inch an hour this morning in cities such as Brunswick.
3:00 a.m. Tuesday EDT: AccuWeather.com meteorologists report that the center of Debby appears to be barely moving, while the storm is showing some signs of weakening. However, heavy rains will continue to batter Florida and southern Georgia.
12:45 a.m. Tuesday EDT: 20.10 inches of rain has fallen over the last 24 hours in Sanborn, Fla.
Midnight Tuesday EDT: Doppler radar is indicating wind gusts to near 60 mph are occurring along the coast and inland from Apalachicola to the western Big Bend of Florida.
9:30 p.m. Monday EDT: Emergency management officials have issued a voluntary evacuation notice for residents in low-lying areas of Wakulla County, Fla., an area battered by flooding.
8:00 p.m. Monday EDT: Unconfirmed report of a brief funnel cloud in Lake County, Fla.
7:55 p.m. Monday EDT: Storm total of 11.50 inches of rain in Monticello (Jefferson County), Fla.
6:54 p.m. Monday EDT: 16.26 inches of rain has fallen since midnight in parts of Wakulla County, Fla.
6:02 p.m. Monday EDT: 10 inches of rain has fallen in Woodville (Leon County), Fla. since 1 p.m. today.
5:00 p.m. Monday EDT: Thunderstorm wind gusts measured up to 56 mph in Brevard County, Florida.
2:00 p.m. Monday EDT: The top 72-hour rainfall totals include 12.24" in Hernando County, 10.34" in St. Petersburg and 9.97" in Tampa, Fla.
12:12 p.m. Monday EDT: Water is beginning to approach low-lying homes in eastern and central Wakulla County, Fla.
12:12 p.m. Monday EDT: Knee-deep water reported near Sochoppy, Fla.
12:48 p.m. Monday EDT: According to CNN, the governor of Florida declares a state of emergency due to the severe impact of Debby.
12:00 p.m. Monday EDT: "Winds on radar continue to come down. I expect we will have a depression by the end of the day if not Tuesday AM," Expert Meteorologist Henry Margusity said. In addition, as a storm moves slowly or stays nearly stationary-as Debby is-upwelling occurs. This means cooler water is pulled to the surface of the ocean. Since tropical systems are fueled by warm water, upwelling can lead to weakening.
