Debby Will Hit Florida, Georgia, And Carolinas With Billions Of Dollars In Damages

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If the damages from Hurricane Debby are anything like those in the Houston area caused by Hurricane Beryl, the price tag will jump into the billions of dollars. Debby is a slow-moving storm, which means the effects of its rain, wind, and flooding will linger much longer than Beryl’s did. Beryl was the earliest major hurricane in history to hit the Atlantic.

AccuWeather Lead Hurricane Expert Alex DaSilva commented, “Rainfall totals could surpass 30 inches in spots. I’m very concerned the Savannah, Charleston, and Myrtle Beach areas could face catastrophic amounts of rainfall over the next few days, especially if Debby stalls for a longer amount of time than we expect.” In some cases, these figures could be all-time records. The weather forecasting company also said the storm is a major risk to both property and lives.

Debby’s effects may be harsh as far north as New England. It will move out over the warm waters of the Atlantic, which could cause it to strengthen.

Property research firm Corelogic estimated the Texas wind damage from Beryl at $2.5 billion and $3.5 billion. That does not include the substantial cost of water damage. Houston is a large metro area, so the financial damage is greater than in Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. However, Debby has affected a much larger area geographically than Beryl did. It will cause damage to states well north along the Atlantic coast.

No one will know the exact costs of these storms, but they hit tens of thousands of homes and businesses, ruin infrastructure maintained by the local and federal government, and raise insurance rates, which in some cases rise in double digits. Debby is just one example of how expensive hurricane seasons will be in the future. It is also a warning that insurance costs could be part of the damage as well.