At least five lives were tragically lost as Hurricane Debby slammed into Florida’s Big Bend region before weakening to a tropical storm.
Heavy rains and life-threatening flooding are now expected to batter parts of Georgia and the Carolinas in the coming days.
The National Hurricane Center warned of a dire situation, urging residents to prepare for “torrential rains” and “catastrophic flooding” as the slow-moving storm continues its path.
Debby made landfall on Monday as a Category 1 hurricane, leaving a path of destruction across Florida. Among the reported casualties:
- A 13-year-old boy in Levy County lost his life after a tree fell on his mobile home.
- A truck driver in Hillsborough County perished after his vehicle swerved off the road and landed in a canal.
- A woman and a 12-year-old passenger died in a car crash in Dixie County on Sunday night.
- Local media in Georgia reported a separate fatality – a 19-year-old who died after a large tree fell on their home’s porch.
Debby’s slow movement raises concerns about potential catastrophic flooding, as highlighted by the hurricane center’s deputy director, Jamie Rhome.
The storm also brought an unexpected consequence. US Border Patrol reported that Debby’s strong winds and waves pushed ashore 25 packages of cocaine, valued at over $1 million, in the Florida Keys.
Power outages are another major concern. Over 150,000 Florida homes and businesses were left without power on Monday night, and power outages are also impacting 36,000 residents in Georgia and South Carolina.
The storm is expected to continue its journey along the coast, bringing heavy rain to southeast Georgia and the Carolinas on Tuesday and Wednesday before moving inland near South Carolina on Thursday.
