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Hurricane Debby has made landfall in Florida, with the Category 1 storm bringing risks of life-threatening storm surge and major flooding to the Big Bend region.
The National Hurricane Center announced at around 7am ET on Monday that Debby had made landfall near Steinhatchee with winds of 80 mph.
The storm is expected to bring “life-threatening” storm surge of up to 10 feet along Florida’s Gulf Coast. The southeast US could also historic levels of rainfall this week, the National Weather Service said.
Some areas of Georgia and South Carolina could see up to 30 inches of rain through Friday, while Florida could see up to 18 inches throughout the week, according to the NWS.
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.
Governor Ron DeSantis has placed more than 60 of Florida’s counties under a state of emergency as the storm approaches. “Just because you are not in the eye of the storm doesn’t mean you’re not going to have major, major effects,” he said.
Residents brace for another hurricane
Residents in Steinhatchee, Florida, which flooded during Hurricane Idalia, spent Sunday moving items to higher ground ahead of Hurricane Debby making landfall on Monday morning.
“I’ve been here 29 years. This isn’t the first time I’ve done it. Do you get used to it? No,” Mark Reblin, a resident told The Associated Press, as he moved items out of the liquor store he owns.
“Right now, we are trying secure everything from floating away,” said Sheryl Horne, whose family owns the Shell Island Fish Camp along the Wakulla River in St Marks, Florida, where some customers moved their boats inland.
The Big Bend region was hit last year by Hurricane Idalia, which made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane.
“I am used to storms and I’m used to cleaning up after storms,” Ms Horne said.
James Liddell5 August 2024 14:55
Dixie County woman and boy, 12, die in car crash due to ‘inclement weather’
A woman, 38, and a boy, 12, both from Crawfordville were pronounced dead at the scene, according to a Florida Highway Patrol statement. A third boy, 14, was seriously injured and taken to UF Health.
The vehicle was said to have struck a guardrail, causing it to flip and lose control, police said. The specific location or identity of those involved have not been disclosed.
A witness told the Florida Highway Patrol that the car lost control “due to inclement weather and wet roadway,” the statement read.
“After losing control, the vehicle struck the guardrail in the center median, then redirected, overturning, leaving the roadway to the right,” it added.
The crash is currently under investigation. The Independent has reached out to Florida Highway Patrol for more details.
James Liddell5 August 2024 14:35
Climate change is fueling a stronger hurricane season
Debby, which made landfall on Monday morning, intensified into a Category 1 hurricane amid a hurricane season that experts warn could be catastrophic as the climate crisis fuels rising ocean temperatures.
A study from Colorado State University published earlier this year predicted 23 tropical storms and hurricanes this year, the highest number they’ve predicted in their 20 years of work. The team says hotter oceans are to blame.
Louise Boyle has the story.
James Liddell5 August 2024 14:20
Citrus County residents still recovering from Hurricane Idalia as Debby hits
Idalia, a Category 3 hurricane, was the most powerful to hit the Big Bend for almost 75 years, causing $3.5bn worth of damage and taking the lives of up to 12 Floridians.
“We’re seeing a bit of a repeat of Hurricane Idalia. Thankfully, this one does not appear to be as strong,” Citrus County Commissioner Jeff Kinnard told CNN on Monday morning.
Kinnard says the county is better prepared to cope with the potential torrential conditions than it was a year ago.
“We’re prepared, the city’s prepared. And we’re just hoping for the best here,” he added.
Hurricane Debby finally made landfall in Steinhatchee in Taylor County – just 20 miles away from Hurricane Idalia’s landfall last year.
James Liddell5 August 2024 14:01
Watch: Tampa police chief urges residents to ‘turn around, don’t drown’
James Liddell5 August 2024 13:34
Mapped: Flash flood risk across next five days in Southeastern US
James Liddell5 August 2024 13:17
DeSantis urges Florida residents to avoid driving over risk of ‘traffic fatalities’
Gov. Ron DeSantis urged Florida residents in the Big Bend region to avoid driving as roads are likely to become increasingly flooded.
“When the water rises when, you have streets that could be flooded – that’s hazardous,” the Florida governor said during a live-streamed address on X on Monday.
“Please take the adequate precautions. Don’t try and drive through this. We don’t want to see traffic fatalities adding up because people went out there when the roads aren’t safe yet.”
He continued: “Please don’t tempt fate. Don’t try and go through these flooded streets.”
DeSantis’ warning comes after the National Hurricane Center warned of life-threatening storm surge and major flooding across the region as Hurricane Debby made landfall approximately 7.00 EDT in Steinhatchee on Monday.
James Liddell5 August 2024 12:57
Citrus County residents still recovering from Hurricane Idalia as Debby hits
Idalia, a Category 3 hurricane, was the most powerful to hit the Big Bend for almost 75 years, causing $3.5bn worth of damage and taking the lives of up to 12 Floridians.
“We’re seeing a bit of a repeat of Hurricane Idalia. Thankfully, this one does not appear to be as strong,” Citrus County Commissioner Jeff Kinnard told CNN on Monday morning.
Kinnard said hopes the county is in a better position to cope with the torrential conditions than a year ago.
“We’re prepared, the city’s prepared. And we’re just hoping for the best here,” he added.
Hurricane Debby finally made landfall near Steinhatchee on Monday – just 20 miles away from Hurricane Idalia’s landfall last year.
James Liddell5 August 2024 12:51
Watch live: Ron DeSantis makes public address as Hurricane Debby poses ‘threat to life’
James Liddell5 August 2024 12:43
‘Catastrophic flooding’ expected as Hurricane Debby makes landfall
The storm came ashore near the coastal town of Steinhatchee in Taylor County, Florida, at approximately 7.00am EDT, according to the National Hurricane Center.
The NHC has warned of major flooding and “life-threatening” storm surge as bands of rain sweep across the region.
The storm is predicted to move slowly across the Sunshine State with as much as 20 inches of rain expected to cause flooding as Debby shifts north.
“You’re talking about catastrophic flooding,” Jamie Rhome, the deputy director of the Hurricane Center, told the BBC.
More than 200,000 homes and businesses have been left without power at the time the storm made landfall.
Georgia and South Carolina are expected to be hit by the torrential conditions in coming days.
The landfall is within 20 miles of Hurricane Idalia’s landfall in August last year, which came ashore in the Big Bend of Florida as a Category 3 hurricane with 125 mph winds.
James Liddell5 August 2024 12:31
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