HURRICANE Debby has caused havoc across the Big Bend region of Florida with fears of dangerous storms and catastrophic flooding set to hit the area.
Major disruption has already been caused to flights and roads as at least four people have died as a result of the extreme weather.
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Debby moved on-shore as a Category One hurricane in The Sunshine State on Monday morning.
It has since been downgraded to a tropical storm, as of 11am EST.
Florida’s governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency in 61 of the state’s 67 counties.
This level of storm is awarded to tropical cyclones that maintain a speed between 39 to 73 miles per hour.
What we know about Hurricane Debby so far:
- Hurricane Debby came ashore on Monday morning.
- It has worked its way across the Big Bend region of northern Florida.
- At least four deaths have been confirmed as a result of the extreme weather
- The storm has been projected to travel across Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia in the next five days.
- Over 1,500 flights have been canceled and more than 3,000 hit with delays .
- A state of emergency has been declared in 61 of Florida’s 67 counties
- Over 269,000 customers have been left without power in Florida and over 14,500 in Georgia
- An expert said the region could experience a “historic” level of rainfall.
- 3,000 National Guard members have been mobilized in Florida.
The storm has been projected to move up north along the coast.
Major cities like Savannah, Georgia, Charleston, South Carolina, and Raleigh, North Carolina, could face major rainfall and heavy winds in the coming days.
The National Hurricane Center has warned how dangerous the impact of this tropical storm could be.
“This is a life-threatening situation,” the organization wrote.
DEATH TOLL
A 12-year-old boy and 38-year-old woman died after their vehicle crashed in Dixie County, Florida, according to NBC News.
Witnesses claimed the vehicle lost control due to “inclement weather and wet roadway.”
A 13-year-old boy died when a tree fell on a mobile home in Levy County, Florida.
Authorities found the boy “crushed inside the home.”
Wrath of Hurricane Debby
Hurricane Debby has wreaked havoc across Florida.
- Debby made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane on Florida’s Gulf Coast on Monday morning around 7 am ET
- The storm had sustained winds of 75 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center
- Hurricane Debby was downgraded to a tropical storm at around 11 am
- At least four deaths have been confirmed due to the hurricane
- Experts have issued warnings of potential floods as heavy rain is expected in Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia
- Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 61 counties
- Areas in Florida are seeing 10 inches of rain
- Over 274,000 households are without power, according to PowerOutage.com
- Debby is moving northeast as storm surge warnings are in effect up to South Carolina
A four victim of the hurricane was confirmed to be the 64-year-old driver of an 18-wheeler truck.
This vehicle had reportedly partially fallen into the Tampa Bypass Canal after it lost control on a wet road.
FLIGHT NIGHTMARE
The extreme weather has severely impacted travelers including flyers who face delays and cancelations.
Over 1,500 flights have been canceled within, out of, or into the US on Monday, according to FlightAware.
US flyers have also been hit with over 3,000 delays.
American Airlines has been particularly affected as it has made major changes to its operations at some airports, according to ABC News.
The carrier stopped all flights from Gainesville, Sarasota and Tallahassee airports until at least noon on Monday.
American Airlines could also face even more disruption due to two of its major hubs being in Miami and Charlotte, North Carolina.
LIGHTS OUT
A staggering numbers of household have been hit with outages across Florida.
Over 269,000 customers have been left without power, mostly in the Big Bend region, according to PowerOutage.us.
Households in Georgia have also been affected as over 14,500 customers have been hit with outages, according to the Georgia Power Outage Map.
Governor DeSantis added that utility crews from inside and out of the state will work to restore power to these places.
FLOOD WARNING
A major risk of extreme flooding has been a particular worry among officials.
The deputy director of the hurricane center, Jamie Rhome, said the amount of rainfall experienced in the region could be historic, according to the BBC.
“You’re talking about catastrophic flooding,” Rhome said.
This is thought to be due to the storms slow-moving nature.
Hurricane Debby is expected to dump as much as 30 inches of rain as it moves up the coast.
This rainfall could be made worse by predicted storm surges, which would result in water being trapped in rivers and unable to drain into the ocean.
Governor DeSantis confirmed that 3,000 National Guard members have been mobilized.
Officials in Tampa have handed out over 30,000 sandbags for people to help barricade their properties, according to The Guardian.
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