Debby intensifies to cat 1 hurricane as Florida landfall imminent
- June 5, 2025
- Posted by: Kane Wells
- Category: Insurance
With tropical storm Debby recently intensifying into a category 1 hurricane, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) has warned of further strengthening, as an imminent landfall is anticipated in the Big Bend area of the Florida Panhandle.
According to the forecasters, conditions will remain conducive for intensification as tropical storm Debby moves north, then curves in towards the Florida Big Bend area.
As Reinsurance News understands, the expected area of landfall is relatively sparsely populated, but any shift to the west in the track could bring Debby’s eyewall winds closer to Tallahassee, the largest population centre in that region of Florida.
Predictions state that Hurricane Debby could reach sustained winds of almost 90 mph before landfall, just below Category 2, as it passes over very warm Gulf waters.
At the same time, some meteorologists are underlining that models have largely underplayed Debby’s intensity so far, so a Category 2 hurricane at landfall should not be discounted as a possibility.
Forecasters also suggest that Debby will gather substantial moisture as it moves toward Florida and the southeastern United States. Many caution that flooding will be a significant concern, regardless of the wind strength from Tropical Storm or Hurricane Debby.
The NHC currently foresees storm surge heights of 6 to 10 feet from the Suwannee River to the Aucilla River in Florida, with a broader region experiencing surges of 4 to 6 feet. Even Tampa Bay is expected to see a storm surge of 3 to 5 feet.
After Florida, a range of models show Debby crossing land and emerging into the Atlantic, after which a second landfall is seen as possible around the Carolinas.
Here, with more time off the East Coast to pick up additional moisture, tropical storm Debby could again strengthen, with an even more significant rainfall threat.
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