At least five dead in southeastern United States hit by storm Debby

At least five deaths were recorded Tuesday by the authorities in the southeastern United States, a region hit since the day before by storm Debby and its heavy rainfall which poses the risk of “catastrophic” flooding.

Arriving Monday on the coast of Florida as a category 1 hurricane (on a scale of up to 5), Debby continues Tuesday its course towards the north and the states of Georgia and South Carolina with gusts of up to 75 km/h after a peak at 120 km/h, indicated Tuesday the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

After four deaths in Florida in car accidents and in the fall of a tree on a mobile home, the authorities of Colquitt County in Georgia announced that a 19-year-old man died Monday, also in the fall of a tree on a house.

“Debby could produce potentially historic rainfall amounts of 10 to 20 inches” and cause “catastrophic flooding” in parts of the southeastern states, according to the latest NHC bulletin.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned Monday that a “continuing threat” of flooding would continue to loom over parts of the state in the coming days.

– State of emergency –

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According to the NHC, “a slow eastward and then northward movement is expected through Thursday evening” for Debby. As of Tuesday, it should move off the coast of Georgia.

Joe Biden had declared a state of emergency on Sunday — a measure that releases federal funds to help local authorities — in South Carolina, after having established it in Florida the day before.

“The President continues to urge residents to remain vigilant and heed the warnings of local officials,” the White House said in a statement.

Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate in November, has postponed events scheduled to take place this week in North Carolina and Georgia because of the storm, according to local media reports citing her campaign.

A man barricades a building before the arrival of Hurricane Debby, in Cedar Key, Florida on August 4, 2024 © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA – JOE RAEDLE

In early July, Hurricane Beryl had already hit the southern United States and caused several deaths.

According to forecasts from the American National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the hurricane season in the North Atlantic, which runs from early June to late November, should be particularly turbulent this year, in particular because of the heat of the oceans, which fuel storms and hurricanes.

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