GULFPORT, Fla. — Stranded boats and flooded streets with rising water levels are what were left in Hurricane Debby's wake in Gulfport on Monday morning.
While no local roads are closed in the area, areas of Shore Boulevard are flooded with knee-high levels of water.
The area is best known for local bars and its beach recreational area, which was underwater Monday as the storm surge caused water levels to rise. Bars and restaurants in the area have water reaching up to their doorsteps.
Hurricane Debby reached the Big Bend coast of Florida early Monday, leaving behind damage beyond that stretched far Gulfport. Counties across the Tampa Bay region are dealing with damage and flooded roadways.
As of 1:30 p.m. Monday, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge was closed north and southbound due to high winds.
As the area braces for the tide to rise at around 1:19 p.m., water levels and wind shifts will change and could potentially make matters worse.
Debby has since been downgraded to a tropical storm.