In the photo: Vehicles pass under a tropical storm warning sign in effect due to tropical storm Debby in Waverly, Georgia, USA, 05 August 2024. Debby made landfall in Florida`s Big Bend as a hurricane and is now a tropical storm that can produce potentially historic heavy rainfall across southeast Georgia, part of South Carolina and southeast North Carolina according to the National Hurricane Center.
At least four people have died as Tropical Storm Debbie slammed into Florida and threatened the southeastern US with heavy rains and catastrophic flooding.
A 13-year-old boy died when a tree fell on a house in Levy County. Debbie reached Florida's Gulf Coast as a Category 1 hurricane, CNN reported.
Authorities said a truck driver died after the vehicle plunged into a ditch in Hillsborough County, and a 38-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy were killed in a car crash in Dixie County.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) expects the storm to hit Georgia and later approach the coast of South Carolina.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said about 250,000 residents in his state were without electricity.
"Please be very careful when you go out," he said, adding that Debbie's winds were not as destructive as previous hurricanes that have hit Florida.
President Joe Biden approved declaring a state of emergency for Florida, allowing federal aid to be expedited.
DeSantis activated the state's National Guard. More than 3,000 military personnel have been mobilized to help fight the storm. | BGNES
