States of Emergency Declared for Hurricane Debby

Governors across Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina have declared states of emergency as Tropical Storm Debby is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane before making landfall in Florida's Big Bend region on Monday. The storm, which currently has sustained winds of 65 mph, is forecasted to bring catastrophic flooding with up to 30 inches of rain in some areas, particularly in Savannah, Georgia, and the South Carolina Lowcountry. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster have urged residents to prepare for significant rainfall, flooding, and power outages. The National Hurricane Center predicts that Debby will move eastward over northern Florida and stall over Georgia and South Carolina, exacerbating the flooding risk. Emergency management agencies are coordinating resources and preparations to mitigate the storm's impact.