At least five deaths were recorded Tuesday by the authorities in the southeastern United States, a region hit by the storm since the day before. Debby and its heavy rainfall which poses the risk of “catastrophic” flooding.
Arriving on the coast of Florida on Monday as a Category 1 hurricane (on a scale of up to 5), Debby continues its course towards the north and the states of Georgia and South Carolina on Tuesday with gusts of up to 75 km/h after a peak at 120 km/h, indicated Tuesday the National Hurricane Center (NHC).
After four people died in Florida in car accidents and a tree falling on a mobile home, authorities in Colquitt County, Georgia, announced that a 19-year-old man died Monday, also in a tree falling on a home.
” Debby could produce potentially historic rainfall amounts of 10 to 20 inches” and cause “catastrophic flooding” in parts of those southeastern states, according to the latest NHC bulletin.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned Monday that a “continued threat” of flooding would continue to loom over parts of the state in the coming days.
Emergency state
According to the NHC, “a slow movement toward the east and then the north is expected until Thursday evening” for Debby. From Tuesday, it should move off the coast of Georgia.
Joe Biden 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 authorities,” the White House said in a statement.
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris has postponed events scheduled to take place this week in North Carolina and Georgia due to the storm, according to local media reports citing her campaign.
In early July, the hurricane Beryl had already hit the southern United States and caused several deaths.
According to forecasts from the US 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 because of the warm oceans, which fuel storms and hurricanes.