As Hurricane Debby barrels towards the Gulf Coast of Florida, residents are bracing for impact and taking necessary precautions to protect their homes and businesses. With fears of storm surges and catastrophic flooding, people are not taking any chances as they board up windows and stock up on supplies.
The National Hurricane Center (NHC) has confirmed that Hurricane Debby has made landfall at the Big Bend region of Florida’s Gulf Coast as a Category One hurricane, packing 80mph winds. The slow-moving nature of the storm is expected to bring as much as 30 inches of rain, leading to historic amounts of rainfall and the potential for catastrophic flooding.
Already, over 200,000 homes and businesses in Florida are without power as the storm continues to wreak havoc. Governor Ron DeSantis has declared a state of emergency for 61 counties in preparation for the storm’s impact.
Residents like Spyridon Aibejeris are no strangers to the devastation that hurricanes can bring, with repairs from previous storms still fresh in their minds. As they watch the rain fall and the winds pick up, they are hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.
Forecasters have warned that this hurricane season could be a busy one, with up to 25 named storms predicted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Climate change may be playing a role in the increase of slow-moving hurricanes like Debby, as changes in atmospheric circulations steer storms across the planet.
As Hurricane Debby continues its path of destruction, residents are urged to stay safe and heed all warnings and evacuation orders. The impact of this storm could be felt for days to come, with Georgia and South Carolina also bracing for heavy rainfall and potential flooding.
