Hurricane Debby made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region Monday morning as a Category 1 storm, then slowed to a crawl over the Southeast. The storm’s leisurely pace is the real story. Catastrophic rainfall totals are inundating parts of Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas, with some areas bracing for totals measured in feet, and hundreds of thousands of customers have lost power across the region.

Slow Storms, Long Outages

Slow-moving tropical systems saturate the ground and keep winds blowing over weakened trees for days, which means outages can continue to mount long after landfall. Flooded substations and washed-out access roads also slow restoration crews considerably.

Preparing for Possible Impacts

• Inspect your standby generator and ensure it is ready to activate automatically if power is lost.
• Run a test cycle to confirm your system starts and transfers power properly.
• Plan for fuel supply and make sure natural gas or propane systems are fully connected and serviced.
• Consider an upgrade. Whole-home backup solutions from Generac and Kohler deliver seamless power protection during prolonged outages.

Stay Informed

The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Debby every few hours as the storm tracks up the Atlantic coast. Residents from Florida to the Mid-Atlantic should monitor forecasts closely.