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At least six people have died as Hurricane Debby thrashed parts of Florida on Monday after making landfall and bringing risks of flooding, dangerous storm surge and power outages.
The National Hurricane Center announced at around 7am that Debby had made landfall near Steinhatchee, Florida, with winds of 80 mph, making it a Category 1 storm. It has since been downgraded to a tropical storm.
Those killed included a 12-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy in Levy County after a tree fell. A 19-year-old man near Valdosta, Georgia died when a tree fell onto a porch.
Others killed in the storm were a truck driver who lost control of an 18-wheeler on Interstate 75 and went into the Tampa Bypass Canal, and a 38-year-old woman and her 12-year-old son whose SUV crashed in Dixie County north of Tampa in stormy weather.
Debby will travel across Florida before blowing through southern Georgia on Tuesday. The storm is forecasted to hit South Carolina Wednesday through Friday before calming.
More than 147,000 in the Sunshine State were without electricity as of late Monday, according to utilities tracking site PowerOutage.us.
You know when the Waffle House is closed, it means bad news
Waffle House, the legendary US breakfast 24-hour chain, is so famous for staying open through all conditions that people joke there’s a Waffle House index ahead of a natural disaster.
When Waffle House is closed, that means it’s bad news.
As Joe Kovac Jr. of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution the Waffle House in Valdosta, Georgia, the soon-to-be center of Tropical Storm Debby, was closed on Monday evening.
Josh Marcus6 August 2024 07:59
Pumps lower lake levels in Charleston as Debby expected to bring heavy rains
Officials in Charleston, South Carolina, are pumping down water levels in area lakes, ahead of heavy rains from Tropical Storm Debby.
Josh Marcus6 August 2024 06:48
Six dead in storm related incidents
Trees felled in the storm killed a 12-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy in Levy County, officials and law enforcement said. A 19-year-old man was killed near Valdosta, Georgia, when a tree fell onto a porch, police said.
Others killed in the storm included a truck driver who lost control of an 18-wheeler on Interstate 75 and went into the Tampa Bypass Canal, and a 38-year-old woman and her 12-year-old son whose SUV crashed in Dixie County north of Tampa in stormy weather, according to law enforcement.
Stuti Mishra6 August 2024 05:49
Biden approves South Carolina emergency declaration
The White House on Monday approved a request from South Carolina to declare an emergency ahead of the imminent arrival of Tropical Storm Debby. Joe Biden previously approved a similar declaration from Florida because of the storm. The White House said in a statement that it is monitoring Debby as it makes its way across Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas. “Personnel from the DOD, HHS, US Army Corps of Engineers, and US Coast Guard have deployed and are prepared to support,” it said. “The president continues to urge residents to remain vigilant and heed the warnings of State and local officials.”
Stuti Mishra6 August 2024 05:45
Video: Tornado passes through South Carolina
Footage shared on X shows a tornado passing through Edisto Island, South Carolina, leaving homes with significant damage.
Stuti Mishra6 August 2024 04:41
‘We don’t have any monetary damages, just emotional damage’
Major storms damage more than just buildings.
They also leave an emotional impact, according to Cheri and Rusty Jakes of Steinhatchee, Florida, where Debby first made landfall.
Their property was under a foot of water during the storm surge.
“We don’t have any monetary damages, just emotional damage,” said Ms Jakes told The New York Times. “All of my children’s baby books got flooded…That’s the most devastating thing. I don’t care about anything else right now.”
Josh Marcus6 August 2024 03:45
Watch: Charleston mayor announces curfew as Tropical Storm Debby rages
Charleston, South Carolina, mayor William Cogswell announced a curfew would go into effect for the city overnight, as Tropical Storm Debby is set to bring 10 to 12 inches of rain in the coming house.
Watch more of his remarks via WTAT.
Josh Marcus6 August 2024 02:45
Update: NHC warns of ‘torrential rains’ as Debby moves north
The storm, now about 50 miles outside of Valdosta, Georgia, will bring winds of 45mph, storm surge, and 6 to 12 inches of rainfall across Florida and North Carolina through Wednesday morning.
Southeast Georgia and the Carolinas, meanwhile, can expect 10 to 20 inches of rainfall.
“This potentially historic rainfall will likely result in areas of catastrophic flooding,” the NHC warned.
Josh Marcus6 August 2024 01:45
North Carolina declares state of emergency
North Carolina has declared a state of emergency as Tropical Storm Debby continues making its way north.
“As the storm approaches our state, please take precautions and stay safe,” North Carolina governor Roy Cooper wrote on X.
Josh Marcus6 August 2024 01:15
Falling tree kills Georgia teen, fifth death from storm
Tropical Storm Debby has now reportedly killed five people since making landfall earlier today.
A 19-year-old in Moutlrie, Georgia, died on Monday when a tree fell on the side of his house, according to Colquitt County officials, CNN reports.
Four others have died in the storm in car crashes and another falling tree incident.
Josh Marcus6 August 2024 00:45
