SCCF: Debby surge exceeds Idalia’s on island
The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation reported that as Tropical Storm Debby passed 130 miles west of Sanibel on Aug. 4, the island experienced sustained winds of over 25 miles per hour with gusts of up to 50 miles per hour.
The SCCF Marine Lab tracks the impacts of storms through the SCCF’s River, Estuary, and Coastal Observing Network (RECON).
“While the effects of Debby were similar to Hurricane Idalia in August 2023, Debby more closely resembles the winter storm of December 2023,” Marine Lab Manager A.J. Martignette said. “The tidal cycle and timing of Debby and the December storm produced a higher local storm surge than Idalia.”
The Tarpon Bay RECON station measured a peak storm surge of just under 2 feet.
“The peak surge only lasted a few hours, but water levels remained above normal for another day,” he said.
The storm surge temporarily increased salinity in the bay and Caloosahatchee River as the water from the Gulf of Mexico was forced in.
“This increase was short-lived and would have a minimal impact on the organisms that live in the bay as they are accustomed to temporary changes in salinity,” Martignette said.
Rainfall of about 4-6 inches across the island over four days, combined with the storm surge, led to flooding in some locations.