Hurricane Debby Sweeps Coast of Southeastern U.S.

Hurricane Debby stormed its way through Florida’s Gulf Coast toward Georgia on Monday. The category 1 hurricane was later reduced to a tropical storm before hitting the Carolinas early this morning. At least six people have been killed, including two children.

Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina have all declared states of emergency.

First landfall: Debby first landed in Steinhatchee, Florida, on Monday, dumping more than 20 inches of rain in winds racing at 80 miles per hour. More than 500 people were rescued in Sarasota, and about 180 people were rescued in Manatee County, according to officials.

Some 350,000 people lost power. At least 18,000 flights across the United States were canceled, and another 5,000 experienced delays.

“Essentially we’ve had twice the amount of the rain that was predicted for us to have,” Sarasota County Fire Chief David Rathbun said on social media.

Second landfall: After temporarily heading back out to sea, Debby returned to land not far from Bulls Bay, South Carolina, early Thursday morning. It continues to move slowly north.

Earlier this week, two tornadoes hit the state, damaging homes in Edisto Beach and Seabrook Island.

The full damage inflicted by the second landfall is yet unknown. “We expect this storm to continue its slow, gradual approach, bringing multiple days of heavy rainfall and the potential for widespread and severe flash flooding,” said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper on Wednesday.

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