Tropical Storm Debby Unleashes Severe Weather Along U.S. East Coast

Tropical Storm Debby made landfall as a hurricane causing severe weather, historic rainfall, and dangerous surf in Florida's Gulf Coast, Georgia, and the Carolinas. The storm has led to six deaths, power outages, flooding, and flight cancellations. Vice President Kamala Harris postponed her Savannah campaign stop amid the extreme weather.

Tropical Storm Debby has wreaked havoc along the U.S. East Coast, unleashing historic rainfall and dangerous ocean surges in regions such as Georgia and the Carolinas. On Tuesday, as Debby moved toward the Atlantic, the storm threatened to drop up to 20 inches (51 cm) of rain, causing catastrophic flooding along parts of the coast.

Having already crashed ashore in Florida's Gulf Coast as a Category 1 hurricane on Monday morning, Debby's deluge led to severe conditions. Flooding caused massive power outages affecting nearly 120,000 Floridians, down from a peak of 350,000, and forced the cancellation of hundreds of flights. The storm has been blamed for six fatalities: five in Florida and one in Georgia.

Safety concerns escalated as weather conditions threatened to spawn tornadoes. A suspected tornado flipped cars and damaged restaurants in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, causing minor injuries. Savannah Mayor Van Johnson urged residents to prepare for a potentially historic rainfall event, and Vice President Kamala Harris postponed her scheduled campaign stop in the city.

(With inputs from agencies.)