Georgia, United States

Tropical Storm Debby, which has triggered flash flood warnings in the US states of South Carolina and Georgia, left five dead in the southeastern United States on Tuesday (August 6).

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Among those killed was a 13-year-old boy who died when the winds from the storm blew a tree into his family's mobile home. As per the sheriff's office, this tragedy took place in Levy County after Debby made landfall on Florida's Gulf Coast as a Category One hurricane

Casualties

Other casualties of Tropical Storm Debby include a 12-year-old boy and a 38-year-old woman who were killed in a car crash. A truck driver was killed in Hillsborough County after his 18-wheeler plunged into a canal.

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Also read | Hurricane Debby slams into Florida; 3,000 National Guard personnel on standby

As the storm moved northward from Florida and into Georgia, a 19-year-old was killed when a tree fell into the side of their house, said the Colquitt County coroner's office.

Potentially historic rainfall expected 

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The National Hurricane Center (NHC) early Tuesday once again warned of "potentially historic heavy rainfall" and "catastrophic flooding" in parts of southeast Georgia and eastern South Carolina.

Overnight, tornadoes were reported in South Carolina.

Given the widespread destruction expected due to the tropical storm, US President Joe Biden as per AFP has approved emergency declarations for Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina — paving the way for federal assistance in coordinating disaster relief efforts.

Yesterday, mandatory evacuations were ordered for part of Citrus County, Florida as authorities predicted multiple days of possibly record-breaking rainfall and likely flash flooding.

Also read | Hurricane Debby blows 25 packets of cocaine onto Florida beach

Eight other counties were under voluntary evacuation orders, reported local media. Meanwhile, a state of emergency had been declared in Georgia and South Carolina by the states' governors.

In Florida, the Florida National Guard has been activated by Governor Ron DeSantis, with 3,000 service members put on standby for storm response.

Category 1 hurricane

Fuelled by an unusually warm Gulf of Mexico, as per reports, Debby barrelled ashore on Monday, in Florida's Big Bend region as a Category One hurricane — the lowest on a five-stage scale.

The storm continues to weaken. Its maximum sustained winds, which were 80 mph (around 130 km/h) at landfall, on Tuesday morning decreased to 45 mph (72.42 km/h), down from 75 mph (over 120 km/h) reported on Monday afternoon.

Even weakened, storm Debby forced Vice President Kamala Harris, the presumptive presidential candidate for the Democratic Party — to postpone campaign events in North Carolina and Georgia this week.

(With inputs from agencies)