BY TRACY LEE TATE
Special to the Times
Hurricane Debby made landfall Monday morning Aug. 4 on the west coast of Florida near the panhandle as a Category 1 hurricane. Most Union County residents had to deal mainly with some wind and a whole lot of water.
Debby spawned several tornados in central and north central Florida. One twister developed near Waldo on Sunday, Aug. 5, 2024, and traveled to Brooker, then on to Worthington Springs and Providence. Two homes were damaged, but there were no injuries. Observers noted that the storm spent most of its travels without actually touching the ground.
According to Union County Emergency Management, as of 7:45 p.m., the county received 10+ inches of rain partially because the storm stalled earlier in its trip. Winds at Lake Butler were continuous Monday, between 30-40 mph and gusts up to 45 mph. Maximum rain amounts and wind gusts were most likely higher in the western part of the county.
Trees in the roads were reported down and in the road on SR-100E, SR-100W, and SR-121. The most notable occurrence of water flowing over the road occurred at the intersection of SW 163rd Lane and SW 72nd Trail and in other locations. Water flowing across roads continued for a couple of days as the water found a place to run off.
By mid-morning Monday, Clay Electric still at work trying to restore power to 54% of its customers in the county.
Union County District Schools were closed, as were the county offices and Lake Butler City Hall. Some local businesses were open as usual on Monday morning, but some chose to open later in the day than usual or not at all. T
The big worry now is flooding. As of press time, the Santa Fe River at Worthington Springs was projected to crest above major flood stage on or about August 8 at 12 p.m. at a depth of 66.5 feet. Emergency management advises residents with homes along the river to have an evacuation plan should water encroach on their homes. Flooding is expected to affect farmland and some homes south of west CR-18 and other areas to the south.
