Tropical Storm Debby Claims Five Lives as It Deluges the Southeastern US
Hurricane Debby, which hit Florida as a Category 1 storm before weakening to a tropical storm, has resulted in at least five deaths. The storm is expected to cause severe flooding in parts of Georgia and the Carolinas over the next few days. The National Hurricane Center has issued warnings about potentially “life-threatening” flooding due to Debby’s slow movement and heavy rainfall.
Debby made landfall on Monday morning in Florida’s Gulf Coast region. Among the fatalities reported are a 13-year-old boy killed by a falling tree in Levy County, a truck driver who drowned when his vehicle went into a canal in Hillsborough County, a woman and a 12-year-old who died in a car crash in Dixie County, and a 19-year-old whose death occurred when a large tree fell on his porch in southern Georgia.
The storm’s slow progression is raising concerns about “catastrophic flooding,” according to Jamie Rhome of the National Hurricane Center. Additionally, Debby’s strong winds and waves have led to the discovery of over $1 million worth of cocaine washed ashore in the Florida Keys.
By Monday night, approximately 150,000 properties in Florida and 36,000 in Georgia and South Carolina were without power. The storm is predicted to move along the southeastern coast, impacting Georgia and the Carolinas on Tuesday and Wednesday, and advancing inland near South Carolina on Thursday.
Before Debby’s landfall, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 61 of the state’s 67 counties. Residents like Spyridon Aibejeris, whose home had just been repaired from last year’s Hurricane Idalia, are already facing repeated damage.
The 2024 hurricane season is expected to be busy, with forecasts predicting up to 25 named storms, including 8 to 13 hurricanes. Debby is the fourth named storm of the year. Experts suggest that climate change may be contributing to the increasing frequency of slow-moving hurricanes due to shifts in atmospheric circulation.