6 Deaths From Hurricane Debby As It Swamped FL, GA

FLORIDA — While Hurricane Debby did not have the strength of fellow hurricanes Ian or Idalia, Gov. Ron DeSantis said the storm left tons of water in its wake and more than 100,000 residents in the dark. The death toll has climbed to five storm victims in Florida, and one in Georgia.

DeSantis shared an update on Florida's recovery in Debby's aftermath while at a news conference Tuesday in Steinhatchee. The governor said the destruction between Debby and Idalia — which also made landfall in the Big Bend area in 2023 — is "night and day."

A deadly storm, Debby was deemed the cause for four people dying in Florida, NBC News reported. A missing boater's body was found in Gulfport, increasing the tally to five fatalities.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday said the storm killed a 19-year-old person in Moultrie, Georgia - bringing the total death toll to at least five people killed in the region by Debby.

Debby reportedly hit the Big Bend around 7 a.m. as a Category 1 hurricane with 80 mph winds, and DeSantis said the storm similarly followed the path of its counterpart, August 2023's Idalia.

Debby's Florida Big Bend Impact

After rolling through the Big Bend, Debby weakened to a tropical storm before pounding Georgia Monday.

At least 110,000 of Florida residents remained without power Tuesday, DeSantis said. This includes thousands in Florida's Big Bend, according to PowerOutage.us.

The majority of those affected by power outages Tuesday morning live in Suwannee County, where 13,000-plus people were without electricity.

More than 8,000 people in Jefferson County, and at least 6,000 people in Levy County, were faced with a power outage.

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, which activated search groups in north Florida, reported Tuesday flooding and structural damage in Suwannee. As of Tuesday morning, the fire department had crews working in Lafayette and Taylor counties.

Debby's Widespread Impacts

"Catastrophic flooding" could overflow through Friday due to possible record rainfall amounts in southeast Georgia and eastern South Carolina, the hurricane center said.

The flood impacts could trickle into northern North Carolina through parts of the mid-Atlantic and southern New England through Sunday morning, the hurricane center said.

The southeastern coast of the U.S., from northwest Florida to North Carolina, could see dangerous storm surge and tropical storm conditions through mid-week, the hurricane center.

Though Debby has completely passed through Florida, the hurricane center warned "deadly hazards" still exist. These hazards include downed power lines and flooded areas.

Residents are encouraged to use precaution while utilizing chainsaws and power tools, stay hydrated to avoid heat exhaustion and have properly ventilated generators to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, the hurricane center said.