18 Inches Of Rain Means Flooding Continues In FL After TS Debby

FLORIDA — With up to 18 inches of rain dumped on parts of the Tampa region by then Hurricane Debby, and more rain in the forecast even though the storm has moved out, Floridians are struggling with continued flooding and damage.

Tropical Storm Debby was bringing heavy rains and flooding to the Carolinas Wednesday morning as it heads up the East Coast.

The storm left at least six people in its path dead, churned along the state’s west coast before making landfall as a Category 1 hurricane in the Big Bend area, and nearly 37,000 people remain without power.

This includes 6,059 people in Suwannee County, as well as 5,105 in Jefferson, 5,330 in Columbia and 3,744 in Madison counties, according to PowerOutage.us.

The storm dropped significant rain on Florida, with Parrish in Manatee County seeing the largest rainfall total of 18.86 inches, according to The Weather Channel.

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Nearby, 16.56 inches fell in Lakewood Ranch and 16.23 in Sarasota, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported. Overall, the Sarasota-Manatee area saw between 10 and 15 inches of rain, while parts of north Florida, closest to the hurricane’s center, saw up to 13 inches, reports said.

Though the heavy rains have passed, “high water levels and river flooding remains hazardous,” the National Weather Service’s Tampa Bay office posted to X, formerly Twitter.

Sarasota and Manatee counties and areas of north Florida face the biggest flooding threats in the state, according to a map from the National Water Prediction Service.

Since Debby passed by Southwest Florida, more than 500 people were rescued from flooded homes in Sarasota alone, police said.

The NWS warns people to avoid floodwaters, posting to X, “Turn around, don’t drown. More than 50 (percent) of flood-related deaths are due to someone driving or walking into floodwaters.”

Just 6 inches of fast-moving flood water is enough to knock over an adult and sweep them away, the agency wrote. Meanwhile, 12 inches of moving water can carry away a small car and 18 to 24 inches of water can carry off larger vehicles, such as trucks, vans, and SUVs.

There’s also a high rip current risk in effect in the Tampa Bay area through Thursday night, the NWS said.

Flood waters can also hide various dangers, such as downed power lines, the agency said.
The agency encourages beachgoers to swim near a lifeguard and if they’re caught in a rip current, to relax and float, rather than swim against it.

“If able, swim in a direction following the shoreline. If unable to escape, face the shore and call or wave for help,” the NWS said.

Even though Debby has moved out of the state, many parts of Florida will continue to see normal daily scattered showers and thunderstorms.

Here’s the latest NWS forecast for the Tampa Bay area this week:

• Wednesday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms before 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Heat index values as high as 105. West wind 10 to 13 mph, with gusts as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
• Wednesday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 81. West wind 6 to 8 mph.
• Thursday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 93. Heat index values as high as 106. Southwest wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
• Thursday Night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 8 p.m. Mostly clear, with a low around 80. South southwest wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.
• Friday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms after 8 a.m. Sunny, with a high near 92. Southwest wind 6 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.
• Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 79. South southwest wind 3 to 7 mph.
• Saturday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. West southwest wind 3 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.
• Saturday Night: Showers likely before 8 p.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 77. Light west southwest wind. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent.
• Sunday: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 2 p.m. Mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Calm wind becoming southwest around 6 mph in the afternoon. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.
• Sunday Night: Scattered showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 8 p.m. Partly cloudy, with a low around 77. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent.