TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — With the flurry of hurricanes that has slammed the eastern Big Bend in recent years, it can be easy to overlook one of the weaker storms that slid over the region just one year ago.
Debby started off as a wave of low pressure from the western African coast on July 26, 2024. The disturbance struggled to develop on its trek westward, as it ran into zones of dry air.
That dry air could have been a blessing in disguise, stalling the future storm's ability to grow strong and stay that way for a longer amount of time.
Eventually, the moisture source reached the northwestern Caribbean Sea, where, after moving over Cuba, it gained fuel from the warmer waters and began a turn to the north into the eastern Gulf of America (Gulf of Mexico).
The intensifying Debby grew into a hurricane off the Tampa Bay region as it made its move steadily toward the eastern Big Bend shoreline, where hardly a year prior, Hurricane Idalia ravaged the landscape of Taylor County and surrounding neighborhoods.
Peak wind gusts inland were around 50 to 60 mph, but the forceful winds were enough to topple trees, cause scattered property damage, and knock out power to thousands.
One of the most notable effects from Debby was the excessive rain and flooding. A slow-moving system, Debby caused a flash flood emergency in Suwannee County, where over 10 inches fell. Waterlogged conditions were reported in Lowndes County where several buildings at Valdosta State University sustained water damage. Madison County also encountered rain accumulations of over eight inches.
While Debby's strongest effects sideswiped the Tallahassee metro area, there were still strong wind gusts to create power outages affecting 55,000 Leon County customers at its peak. Wind gusts topped at 42mph at Tallahassee International Airport.
Amazingly, Debby was not the sole hurricane to affect the region in 2024, as just about six weeks later, a beast called Helene barreled its way into the very same area, overshadowing Debby and making it a relative afterthought in the grand scheme of the devastating hurricane season for the eastern Big Bend.
