OAN Staff Blake Wolf
11:55 AM – Monday, August 5, 2024
Tropical storm Debby has claimed at least four lives in Florida as of Monday morning.
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Hurricane Debby, which has now been downgraded into a tropical storm status, made landfall along the Big Bend coastal region of Florida on Monday.
Prior to the downgrade in status, Hurricane Debby made landfall on Monday at 7a.m. near the coastal town of Steinhatchee. The category 1 hurricane sustained wind speeds of 80 mph causing massive flooding, mass power outages and potentially leading to fatal storm surges and tornadoes as it moves through the state.
Search and rescue crews were dispatched to the Florida coastal communities hit by Debby.
“A heavy presence of National Guard and FL Urban Search and Rescue from Task Force 1 and 2, is in the County and entering the coastal communities of Suwannee and Horseshoe Beach,” Dixie County Fire Rescue stated on Facebook.
“This is a life-threatening situation,” the National Hurricane Center urged.
Officials have confirmed the death of two people relating to the storm in Dixie County, Florida.
A 38-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy were killed in a car accident on the highway as their car lost control and struck a guardrail Sunday night. Witnesses told officials it appeared the vehicle lost control due to the wet roadway and harsh weather.
Another death attributed to the tropical storm was a 13-year-old boy who was killed on Monday after a tree fell on a mobile home in Levy County.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with this family as they deal with this tragedy,” the sheriff’s office stated. “We encourage everyone to use extreme caution as they begin to assess and clean up the damage. Downed powerlines and falling trees are among the many hazards. One life is too many. Please be safe.”
A fourth life was also taken due to slippery road conditions. A 64-year-old man was driving a tractor-trailer and lost control. The semi then slammed into the side barrier wall resulting in the cab detaching and falling into the Tampa Bypass Canal below.
Divers located the cab submerged approximately 40 feet below the surface. The driver was found deceased inside.
On Monday, the storm is expected to bring high levels of rainfall from Gainesville and Jacksonville, Florida up to Savannah, Georgia, where more than 20 inches of rain is possible.
The tropical storm has the potential for “once-in-a-thousand-year potential rainfall event,” said Savannah Georgia City Manager, Jay Melder.
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the severity of tropical storm Debby. He has since approved Florida’s request for an emergency declaration.
The administration has deployed rescue personnel and essential meals and water to those affected, a White House official stated.
As the storm moves north, the Biden administration has been in contact with Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina officials.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has been active in deploying its staff towards the areas expected to be heavily affected.
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