Storm Debby is turning into a hurricane: submersions, floods, gusts… residents are preparing for the worst

Tropical Storm Derby is preparing to hit Florida in the United States. Born over Cuba last Thursday, it seems to be growing and could turn into a hurricane. Local authorities have declared a state of emergency.

“The storm is potentially deadly due to flooding.” The NHC's X account, which reports severe weather emergencies for the U.S. National Storm Center, is sounding the alert.

Debby is expected to hit Florida and Georgia starting Monday and continuing through Wednesday. “This tropical storm is strengthening as it passes over the superheated waters of the Gulf of Mexico”, warns The Weather Channel.

State of emergency

The storm will land north of Florida this Monday morning before heading towards Georgia, and even South Carolina. It could cause a surge of up to three meters in sea level. A maximum alert has been issued for flooding risks.

A state of emergency has been declared in 61 of Florida's 67 counties. 3,000 members of the National Guard are on standby.

A very violent episode

Flooding, gusts … significant damage are expected as Debby strengthens. The heat of the sea allows it to gorge itself with water, and the arrival on the coasts could be shattering. Also, “it could reach the stage of hurricane level 1/5 according to the Saffir Simpson scale”.

The winds could reach 150 km/h on the coast and up to 100 km/h inland. The storm will however move quite slowly, a progression type that will give it time to do damage.

Torrential stationary rains are expected. From 150 to 300 millimeters could fall, enough to cause significant flooding.