Harrowing Hurricane Debby footage as storm kills four and ‘1,000-year’ floods devastate towns across Florida & Georgia

HURRICANE Debby wreaked havoc across Florida today – killing at least four people as experts warned of biblical-level flooding.

At least 1,500 flights were canceled and 3,000 delayed as the devastating storm sparked widespread travel chaos and a state of emergency.

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Experts feared the “1,000-year” deluge would cause historic levels of devastation costing millions of dollars.

Families were warned to “get out now” as the extreme weather claimed the lives of two young boys who were among four victims of Debby’s wrath.

Meanwhile, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 61 of the state’s 67 counties.

Debby moved on-shore as a Category 1 hurricane in The Sunshine State Monday morning – but has since been downgraded to a tropical storm as of 11 am Eastern.

This storm category is assigned to tropical cyclones that maintain a speed between 39 to 73 miles per hour.

What we know about Hurricane Debby so far:

• Hurricane Debby came ashore Monday morning.
• It has worked its way across the Big Bend region of northern Florida.
• At least four deaths have been confirmed as a result of the extreme weather.
• The storm has been projected to travel across Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia in the next five days.
• Over 1,500 flights have been canceled and more than 3,000 hit with delays.
• A state of emergency has been declared in 61 of Florida’s 67 counties.
• Over 269,000 customers have been left without power in Florida and over 14,500 in Georgia.
• An expert said the region could experience a “historic” level of rainfall.
• 3,000 National Guard members have been mobilized in Florida.

On Sunday, Global Emergency Medicine Academy Director Chris Stallings warned residents about the massive rainfall and scale of the storm.

“This could be a multi, multimillion-dollar event for the state of Georgia. If forecasts are accurate, the amount of water we are going to get is that of a 500-year to 1,000-year flood,” Stallings said per ABC affiliate WSB-TV.

“Get out. Get your family out ahead of time.

“I understand we have a lot of connection to our homes and things of value. All of those things are replaceable. You are not.”

The storm has been projected to move up north along the coast.

Major cities like Savannah, Georgia ; Charleston, South Carolina ; and Raleigh, North Carolina , could face major rainfall and heavy winds in the coming days.

The National Hurricane Center has warned how dangerous the impact of this tropical storm could be.

“This is a life-threatening situation,” the organization wrote.

Wrath of Hurricane Debby

Hurricane Debby has wreaked havoc across Florida.

• Debby made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane on Florida’s Gulf Coast on Monday morning around 7 am ET
• The storm had sustained winds of 75 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center
• Hurricane Debby was downgraded to a tropical storm at around 11 am
• At least four deaths have been confirmed due to the hurricane
• Experts have issued warnings of potential floods as heavy rain is expected in Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia
• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 61 counties
• Areas in Florida are seeing 10 inches of rain
• Over 274,000 households are without power, according to PowerOutage.com
• Debby is moving northeast as storm surge warnings are in effect up to South Carolina

DEATH TOLL

A 12-year-old boy and a 38-year-old woman died after their vehicle crashed in Dixie County, Florida, according to NBC News .

Witnesses claimed the vehicle lost control due to “inclement weather and wet roadway.”

A 13-year-old boy died when a tree fell on a mobile home in Levy County, Florida.

Authorities found the boy “crushed inside the home.”

A fourth victim of the hurricane was confirmed to be the 64-year-old driver of an 18-wheeler truck.

This vehicle had reportedly partially fallen into the Tampa Bypass Canal after it lost control on a wet road.

FLIGHTMARE

The extreme weather has severely impacted travelers including flyers who face delays and cancelations.

Over 1,500 flights have been canceled within, out of, or into the US on Monday, according to FlightAware .

US flyers have also been hit with over 3,000 delays.

American Airlines has been particularly affected as it has made major changes to its operations at some airports, according to ABC News .

The carrier stopped all flights from Gainesville, Sarasota, and Tallahassee airports until at least noon on Monday.

American Airlines could also face even more disruption due to two of its major hubs being in Miami and Charlotte, North Carolina .

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LIGHTS OUT

A staggering number of households have been hit with outages across Florida.

Over 269,000 customers have been left without power, mostly in the Big Bend region, according to PowerOutage.us .

Households in Georgia have also been affected as over 14,500 customers have been hit with outages, according to the Georgia Power Outage Map .

Governor DeSantis added that utility crews from inside and out of the state will work to restore power to these places.

FLOOD WARNING

A major risk of extreme flooding has been a particular worry among officials.

The deputy director of the hurricane center, Jamie Rhome, said the amount of rainfall experienced in the region could be historic, according to the BBC .

“You’re talking about catastrophic flooding,” Rhome said.

This is thought to be due to the storm’s slow-moving nature.

Hurricane Debby is expected to dump as much as 30 inches of rain as it moves up the coast.

This rainfall could be made worse by predicted storm surges, which would result in water being trapped in rivers and unable to drain into the ocean.

Governor DeSantis confirmed that 3,000 National Guard members have been mobilized.

Officials in Tampa have handed out over 30,000 sandbags for people to help barricade their properties, according to The Guardian .

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