Florida cities face flooding as Tropical Storm Debby weakens GEORGE ISLAND, Fla. - Debby was expected to head out into the Atlantic on Wednesday, but forecasters warn that the weakened storm still posed a flooding and tornado threat even if it doesn't pack the same punch. The National Hurricane Center downgraded Debby from a tropical storm to a tropical depression Tuesday night as it slogged across northern Florida toward the Atlantic coast. Debby's maximum sustained winds early Wednesday were near 35 mph. But forecasters said a combination of storm surge and tide could bring flooding to coastal areas that have already been drenched by the storm that sat virtually motionless in the Gulf of Mexico for several days. There was already major flooding at Black Creek, as well as several other rivers in the Jacksonville region, National Weather Service meteorologist Angie Enyedi said. She said tornadoes could form to the east and the southeast of the storm. The hurricane center said early Wednesday that Debby was 25 miles southeast of St. Augustine, Fla., and moving east-northeast at about 10 mph. The storm was expected to head out to sea later in the day. But many in Debby's path were still recovering from flooding that damaged homes, washed out roads, opened up sinkholes and closed a section of Interstate 10 -- the state's main east-west highway. Along the Florida Panhandle, the parking lot at the 100-room Buccaneer Inn was empty because of a power outage ahead of the usually big pre-July Fourth weekend. At that point, it had sustained winds near 40 mph -- barely a tropical storm -- hours before it was downgraded. Several areas in northern Florida have received more than 10 inches of rain. Forecasters had said southeastern Georgia could expect the same, but that risk was reduced when the storm turned eastward Tuesday night. Wakulla, an area in northwestern Florida known for camping and canoeing, had gotten more than 26 inches as of Tuesday. A woman was killed in a tornado spun off from the storm Sunday, and a man disappeared in the rough surf over the weekend in Alabama. The storm knocked out power to 250,000 homes and business starting last weekend, but electricity had been restored to all but about 15,000 Progress Energy customers by midday Tuesday. Debby has caused mostly scattered flooding and opened up sinkholes, but forecasters warned it could get worse. "Even though the winds are coming down, the rain threat continues," said James Franklin at the hurricane center. Luisa Santoro decided to flee Tuesday. Portions of Interstate 10 in Lake City, Fla., remained closed early Wednesday due to flooding. The Florida Highway Patrol said two sections of the interstate were still under water. Both sections were near the area where the highway intersects with Interstate 75. Meanwhile, authorities reopened the Sunshine Skyway Bridge near St. Petersburg early Wednesday, more than two days after it was closed due to high winds. In Apalachicola, the hugely popular Boss Oyster restaurant was closed for the third day in a row Tuesday after the rain overwhelmed the sewers and knocked out drinking water.