By: Rachael Tan

Hurricane Debby is expected to hit Florida early Monday, before moving to Georgia and South Carolina, bringing potentially catastrophic winds and flooding.

Meteorologists reported Debby rapidly strengthening into a hurricane on Sunday night, right before it was expected to hit Florida’s Big Bend coast.

Officials in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina immediately activated emergency resources after the announcement, and also opened temporary shelters and made evacuation orders for locals.

Debby brought tropical storm conditions over the Gulf of Mexico and strengthened rapidly with winds of 80 miles per hour.

A hurricane warning was in effect for the Florida Gulf Coast. Tropical Storm and Storm Surge warnings were put in place along the coasts of Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Some areas expected up to 10 feet of storm surge. “This is a life-threatening situation,” the National Hurricane Center said on Sunday.

Debby was expected to give from six to 12 inches of rain in parts of Florida throughout the week. Rainfall of 10 to 20 inches was expected in Georgia and South Carolina, with up to 30 inches in some areas through Friday, forecasters said.

Last year, Hurricane Idalia crossed over the same region as a Category 3 hurricane, bringing storm surge up to 12 feet along parts of the coast. Idalia was the strongest storm to ever hit the Big Bend region of Florida. But maybe not anymore.