Florida woke up Monday under water as many counties were heavily impacted by Tropical Storm “Debby,” which made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane.
Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency on Thursday for 61 counties that were expected to be affected and mobilized 3,000 National Guard troops.
Debby struck Big Bend in rural Steinhatchee, Florida at 7 a.m. with 75 mph winds. It was downgraded to a tropical storm at 11 a.m. Debby is producing significant flooding around the state.
According to meteorologist Philip Klotzbach of Colorado State University, 2024 is only the ninth year on record that two hurricanes made landfall in the U.S. by Aug. 5. Forecasters expect a hyperactive hurricane season.
That Debby is moving slowly in a northeastern direction is concerning, as the longer a storm lingers over an area the more damage and extreme rainfall it produces. According to the National Hurricane Center, Debby could dump 30 inches of rain in parts of the Southeast, with the heaviest concentration expected in eastern Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, dangerous flooding could occur in those states as well as southern Virginia and also eastern Pennsylvania, central New Jersey and northern Maryland.
Meanwhile, local news sources in Florida report at least four deaths Monday with over 300,000 residents without power.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office posted a video of severe flooding around different parts of the county causing service disruptions at Tampa International Airport. The School District of Hillsborough County doesn’t start the new school year until next Monday, but the Sheriff’s Office indicated the storm also impacted operations there as staff prepares.
Duval County Public Schools also closed schools and district offices Monday as staff ready for the start of school. Similar closures were announced at Nassau County Public Schools, Clay County Public Schools, Baker County Public Schools, Putnam County Public Schools, Glynn County Public Schools, and Camden County Public Schools.
No Florida school districts had stated if the start of school next week will be delayed due to damage. Other districts are closely monitoring the storm, and any damage it may have caused then will subsequently implement an e-learning day if needed or delay operations.
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