MOULTRIE — Tropical Storm Debby is expected to continue to increase in intensity to a strong Category 1 hurricane before it makes landfall sometime early Monday, according to information shared in a pair of hurricane preparedness meetings this afternoon.

Debby should be back down to a tropical storm before it reaches Colquitt County, but it’s expected to drop a lot of rain on land that’s already pretty saturated, Colquitt County Emergency Management Director Justin Cox told emergency officials gathered for a 2 p.m. meeting.

Much of South Central Georgia, including Colquitt County, is under a flood watch through Tuesday morning. Rainfall of 10-15 inches is expected over about 24 hours, and some localized areas could reach 18 inches or more.

Winds of 58-73 miles an hour are expected throughout the county, according to information presented in a National Weather Service briefing that followed the emergency management meeting. Sustained hurricane-force winds are very unlikely, but gusts could be quite powerful.

The combination of saturated soils and wind speed make fallen trees especially likely. Downed trees can block roadways, and trees and limbs can damage electrical infrastructure when they fall, leading to power outages.

The Colquitt County School System announced about 4 p.m. that schools and offices would close on Monday, but it expected to reopen them on Tuesday after the storm passes. About 5 p.m., PCOM South Georgia announced its campus would be closed Monday too, and the Southwest Public Health District announced closings of multiple county health departments, including Colquitt County’s, for the day.

City of Moultrie and Colquitt County government offices expected to open Monday morning but might have a reduced staff and might close early as the weather develops.

The county will suspend garbage collection for the day, but the city garbage collectors will operate until the weather forces a change in plans. As of now, the county landfill is expected to remain open.

Sandbags will be available at the City Service Center, 1108 First St. N.E., 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., while supplies last.

Emergencies, including downed power lines, should be reported to 911, but power outages should be reported to your utility provider:

— Colquitt EMC: 1-855-293-1804 or use the outage app.

— Georgia Power: 1-888-891-0938 or use the outage app.

— City of Moultrie: 229-668-6000.

— City of Doerun: 229-529-4492.

— City of Norman Park: 229-769-3611.

For downed trees, water over the road or road washouts, contact:

— County Road and Bridge: 229-616-7480.

— City of Moultrie Public Works: 229-668-5423.

— Georgia DOT’s local office: 229-891-7131.

Shelters have not been opened, but preparations are in place to use Tommy Meredith and Shaw gyms if shelters are needed.