Hurricane Debby was downgraded to a tropical storm as it moved over North Florida on Monday (August 5). However, the downgrade does not mean that Debby is no longer a threat.
At least four people have been confirmed dead since Debby struck.
“This is a life-threatening situation,” forecasters at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Monday afternoon, in a statement urging residents “to protect lives and property from rising water levels.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has deployed 3,000 National Guard troops to help with response efforts.
Forecasters warned residents in the area on Monday to expect heavy rainfall and flooding, as Debby moved over Florida and the southeastern US.
The NHC also warned Monday of the possibility of “a few tornadoes” in central and northern Florida, southeastern Georgia and parts of South Carolina on Monday.
Debby is moving with maximum sustained winds of 100 kilometers per hour. The tropical storm is expected to weaken as it moves. However, the NHC has warned that it could strengthen again on Wednesday (8/7).
The storm also brought waves as high as three meters above sea level in some areas. Storm surge is a leading cause of death, according to the NHC.
After hitting Florida, the storm is expected to slowly move north, dumping heavy rain on Florida, Georgia and South Carolina in the coming days.
Rainfall of 6-12 inches (15-30 centimeters) is expected in Florida, and 10-16 inches (25-50 centimeters) in Georgia and South Carolina. The governors of all three states have declared states of emergency to help speed up relief efforts. More than 245,000 power outages have been reported in the three states, according to poweroutage.us. (th/ka)
