Tropical Depression 4 has turned into Tropical Storm Debby. By the time it makes landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida Monday, it will be Hurricane Debby. And Hurricane Debby is headed for Coffee County. She is expected to arrive Monday evening.
First responders, law enforcement officials, and representatives from government agencies gathered at the county EMA headquarters Sunday morning for a storm briefing. Officials reported no major changes in the track of the storm. Debby is intensifying as she moves north through the Gulf of Mexico. Despite her growing fury, Debby’s impact to Coffee County isn’t expected to be catastrophic. That’s not to say that she won’t leave her mark.
The biggest threat is excessive rain. Coffee County is in the area predicted to receive six to 12 inches of rain. Sustained winds could be 30-40 mph with gusts in the 50-60 mph range. There is also a risk of flash flooding. Tornadoes aren’t considered a big risk in Coffee County under the current forecast. In the expectation of severe weather, Gov. Brian Kemp has issued a state of emergency for all 159 counties in Georgia through Thursday, August 8.
County EMA director Steve Carver is hopeful that the number of downed trees will be minimal. “Irma knocked down a lot of trees. Maybe that won’t be a problem this time,” he said Sunday morning.
Dr. Morris Leis, Coffee County school superintendent; Buddy Gilliard, school system transportation director; and Chris Elrod, school system police chief; were all at the meeting. Dr. Leis stated that he and his team are closely monitoring Debby and the system will make an announcement regarding plans for the opening of school soon. The first day of school for the Coffee County School System is Tuesday, August 6.
More weather briefings will be held throughout the day Sunday. DouglasNow will provide more information on Debby’s expected impact as it is released.