Storm Debby in the United States: at least four dead and risks of “catastrophic” flooding

Tropical Storm Debby, which made landfall in Florida as a hurricane early Monday, has killed at least four people and threatens to cause “catastrophic flooding” in the southeastern United States.

A 13-year-old boy was killed when a falling tree fell on his family's mobile home in Fanning Springs, northwest Florida, local authorities said.

Two other people died in a car accident in Dixie County after the driver “lost control due to bad weather and wet road conditions,” according to local police.

A tractor-trailer driver also died near Tampa after falling into a canal.

Debby, downgraded to a tropical storm Monday after making landfall, moved Monday night across Georgia and is expected to head offshore and approach South Carolina Thursday, according to the U.S. Hurricane Center (NHC).

After peaking at 75 mph (120 km/h), the winds generated by the storm had slowed to 47 mph (75 km/h) Monday night. The NHC had warned that up to six feet of floodwater was possible in some coastal areas.

“The effects of Debby are just beginning and will be felt throughout the week along parts of the southeast coast,” NHC Director Michael Brennan said.

– “Historic” rainfall expected –

The core of the storm “will linger along the coast for two to three days,” resulting in “a prolonged period of extreme rainfall that could lead to catastrophic flooding” in Georgia and South Carolina, he added.

Debby made landfall Monday as a Category 1 hurricane (on a scale of 5) near Steinhatchee, a small town of about 1,000 people on Florida's west coast, in the Gulf of Mexico.

A road sign warns motorists of the approach of Hurricane Debby in Savannah, Georgia, U.S., on August 5, 2024 © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA – Miguel J. RodrÌguez Carrillo

“We have seen and we will continue to see flooding in various parts of Florida,” state Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday morning. “There is a continuing threat in the days ahead.”

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There is a risk, according to hurricane expert Michael Lowry, that Debby will “slow down significantly by Tuesday” as it passes over land and “dumps all of its rain” during the week, bringing up to 30 inches of rainfall in some areas, “historic” levels that will cause “potentially catastrophic flooding.”

NHC Director Michael Brennan urged Florida residents on Sunday to “find a safe place before nightfall” and evacuation orders had been issued in several counties across the state, according to local media reports.

– State of emergency –

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

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

Hurricane Debby © AFP – Olivia BUGAULT, Maud ZABA

The governor of Georgia has also declared a state of emergency in his state.

Vice President Kamala Harris, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, 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.

Debby also brought a surprise to the Florida coast: a shipment of 25 packages of cocaine, estimated by border patrol to be worth more than $1 million, washed up on a beach in the Florida Keys on Monday.

Flooding caused by Hurricane Debby in Cedar Key, Florida, on August 5, 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, is expected to be particularly turbulent this year, particularly due to the heat of the oceans, which fuel storms and hurricanes.

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