ORLANDO, Fla. ? It was called Tropical Storm Debby, but Drought Buster Debby could be the more appropriate name for the sloppy weather that engulfed much of Florida late last month.
Debby brought a dramatic end to a bone-dry spell that two months ago officially covered 99.9% of Florida.
Even after the storm, the U.S. Drought Monitor had designated 53% of Florida as suffering from some level of drought, with the worst of it in northern Florida, where many springs, rivers and lakes had shriveled to their lowest levels on record.
"We don't wish a hurricane on anyone, but these tropical storms and depressions that meander slowly, taking their time, and don't really lose their punch, can drop a lot of rain and can change your situation overnight," said Brian Fuchs, a climatologist at the National Drought Mitigation Center.
Fuchs said it was rare for any region of the country to see as much change as Florida did in just one week. Virtually no other weather pattern in the nation can end a dry spell as rapidly as a tropical system, he said.
"But they are very hard to plan for, and ... the [initial] forecast track for Debby was pushing it clear over to New Orleans," Fuchs said.
Instead of heading west across the Gulf of Mexico, Debby moved east and crossed the Florida peninsula near Gainesville, while its rain bands swept much of the state.
The storm also caused at least two deaths and flooding in Wakulla County south of Tallahassee.
Overall, June is shaping up as one of the wettest on record, with an average statewide rainfall expected to total 11 to 12 inches; the current June record ? 12.4 inches ? was set in 1912.
Extremely dry conditions persist in neighboring Georgia and vast parts of the South, West and Rocky Mountain regions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
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kspear@tribune.com
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