Hurricane Debby Makes Landfall in Florida's Big Bend

Category 1 Hurricane Debby made landfall near Taylor and Dixie counties, eerily similar to last year's Hurricane Idalia, a Category 3 storm. While Florida's capital has avoided the worst, the eastern regions are facing dangerous winds, life-threatening surges, and heavy rainfall.

Updates:

• City of Tallahassee reports substantial power restoration, with 33,216 customers regaining power out of 35,000 outages. They expect to be 99% restored by 10 p.m.
• Leon County shelters are shutting down, except for SAIL High School, where 11 people await power restoration.
• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis provides a 3:30 p.m. storm update.
• Sadly, a 13-year-old boy was killed by a falling tree in Levy County during Debby's landfall.
• Three Florida counties are completely without power: Jefferson, Taylor, and Suwannee. Madison, Hamilton, Dixie, Gilchrist, and Columbia counties are also significantly impacted.
• A dining guide for post-Hurricane Debby hot meals is available from the Tallahassee Democrat.
• The City of Tallahassee reports that 7,500 customers are without power, with Louisiana mutual aid resources assisting in restoration efforts.
• Leon County Administrator Vince Long shares updates, including sustained winds of 20 mph and gusts of 40 mph, minimal tree damage, and the continuing operation of risk shelters.
• Interstate 10 westbound is blocked near Monticello due to a vehicle crash.
• Debby has been downgraded to a Tropical Storm, with hurricane and storm surge warnings dropped for Gulf and Franklin counties, respectively.
• Perry, Florida, is a ghost town in the aftermath of Debby, with most businesses closed and power outages across the community.
• Winds gusting up to 70 mph recorded in Mayo, Lafayette County. Tallahassee International Airport recorded 44 mph gusts, with 47 mph at Florida A&M University.
• City of Tallahassee officials expect tropical storm conditions for the next 5 to 7 hours, warning residents of high winds and continuous rainfall.
• Taylor County officials urge residents to stay indoors due to downed trees and power lines.
• Nearly 308,000 electric customers in North and Central Florida are without power as of 9 a.m., with Leon County having 13,289 outages.
• Governor DeSantis and Kevin Guthrie warn that flooding could last up to 10 days after Debby.
• Minimal tree debris reported on Tallahassee roads, a stark contrast to previous storms like Hurricane Idalia.
• A tragic car crash in Dixie County claims the lives of a woman and a 12-year-old boy, with a 14-year-old boy seriously injured.
• Leon County emergency officials caution residents to remain vigilant, with rainfall and windy conditions persisting.
• Power outages in Tallahassee down to 3,000, with electric crews working tirelessly through the night.
• Reporter Douglas Soule describes forceful winds, stinging rain, and power outages in Perry.
• 98 people are sheltering at six campuses of the Leon County School District as Debby makes landfall.
• Debby makes landfall near Steinhatchee, just 10 miles from where Hurricane Idalia struck, with maximum winds of 80 mph.
• Steinhatchee, once again, finds itself in the path of a powerful storm, less than a year after Hurricane Idalia.
• A Keaton Beach resident, Spyridon Aibejeris, had recently repaired his home from Hurricane Idalia, only to face Debby's wrath once more.
• An unconfirmed 98 mph gust reported near Horseshoe Beach, while Tallahassee Airport recorded a top gust of 39 mph.
• Radar indicates Debby is close to landfall, currently 65 miles SSE of Tallahassee, with 80 mph winds. Storm surge and heavy flooding rains expected.
• Power outages are increasing as Debby approaches, with about 3,500 customers affected in Tallahassee and 177,447 across Florida.
• Douglas Soule, a journalist with USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, is stationed in Perry, providing live updates on the storm.
• One injury reported in Newberry due to a tree-related traffic crash. Tornadoes reported in Columbia County, with several Florida counties under a tornado watch.
• Debby is expected to bring life-threatening storm surges and major flooding as it makes landfall, with sustained winds of 80 mph and moving north-northeast at 10 mph.
• Tallahassee may experience tropical storm-force winds, with gusts up to 40 mph, and rainfall amounts of around 2 inches, which could cause power outages.
• Debby's eyewall is grazing Florida's coast near Taylor and Dixie counties, with the core of the storm expected to pass through Perry, Madison, and Mayo.
• The National Hurricane Center confirms that Debby is nearing landfall in the Big Bend, with sustained winds of 50 mph and gusts of 66 mph recorded in Cedar Key.