HHurricane Debby made landfall in northern Florida on Monday as a Category 1 storm, bringing what forecasters say could be “historic heavy rain” to southwest Georgia and the coastal plain of South Carolina.
About 280,000 homes in Florida were without power as of 10 a.m. ET Monday morning, per PowerOutage.us. Taylor County, Florida, where Debby hit the town of Steinhatchee, reported that the entire county was without power. Approximately 17,000 electricians were dispatched to help restore power, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM).
President Joe Biden approved Florida declared an emergency on Sunday, sending federal assistance to respond to the emergency conditions caused by Debby. The Florida Division of Emergency Management also deployed the state National Guard to assist with response operations and has 10 rotary aircraft and more than 400 tactical vehicles to support emergency efforts.
The storm is slow but impactful. The National Hurricane Center warned that Hurricane Debby could cause a “life-threatening storm surge” near Florida’s Gulf Coast, with about 6 to 10 feet of flooding expected in the region. Forecasters say Debby has the potential to bring “catastrophic flooding,” according to the National Weather Service (NWS) South Carolinawith its strongest impact expected by Wednesday.
Authorities are asking people to stay home. “When the water rises, when there are streets that could be flooded, that’s dangerous,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Monday. “Don’t try to get past it. We do not want to see the number of traffic deaths increasing. Don’t tempt fate, don’t try to pass through these flooded streets.”
Hurricane Debby is expected to make landfall in southern Georgia on Monday and Tuesday, making landfall in North Carolina at 2 a.m. Saturday, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. At this point, experts believe Debby will be a tropical storm.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
