Hurricane Debby made landfall on August 5 and slammed northern Florida with torrential rainfall in places where people and businesses were still trying to recover from previous storms, the Washington Post reported. More than a foot of rain was reported in several locations in Florida, as well as in South Carolina and Georgia, per CNN.
What's happening?
The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) worked with volunteer organizations to supply hot meals for those in need. FDEM pumped nearly 200 million gallons of floodwater from communities flooded by Debby. The Florida National Guard (FLNG) mobilized over 2,300 guardsmen who helped clear more than 400 miles of road. The FLNG also conducted search and rescue efforts that led to the rescue of 154 citizens, according to a news release from the governor's office.
Manatee County is one of several counties receiving federal aid for repairs, loans, and temporary housing. Parts of the county were still picking up debris more than a week after Debby hit. Officials in the county were advising people to stay off the roads right after the storm struck.
"We are urging everyone to stay off the roads unless travel is absolutely necessary," said Manatee County's public safety director, Jodie Fiske, per The Washington Post, on the day the storm hit. "We do not need disaster tourists."
Why is Florida's recovery from Debby important?
Hurricane Debby hit Florida on a Monday. By the following Saturday, President Biden had approved a major disaster declaration for the Sunshine State counties impacted by the storm.
Debby led to the deaths of at least eight people in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. It was the second land-falling hurricane of the season in the U.S. after Hurricane Beryl battered the Houston area in early July.
This is the fourth significant storm to hit parts of central and northern Florida in the past three years, as the Post detailed. Category 4 Hurricane Ian hit the state in September 2022, killing more than 150 people. A couple of months later, Category 1 Hurricane Nicole struck the state. Hurricane Idalia was a Category 3 hurricane when it hit the Florida Big Bend region in late August 2023, killing 10 and causing over $3.6 billion in damage, per the National Hurricane Center.
Our warming world makes hurricane storm surges worse. Coastal water levels in the continental U.S. have risen by about 10 to 12 inches over approximately the past 100 years and are expected to rise faster in the future. Tropical cyclone rainfall rates are also forecast to increase.
What's being done about our overheating planet's impact on hurricanes?
Reducing the heat-trapping gases released into our atmosphere can put our planet on a cooler course. Simple things like washing clothes in cold water, switching to LED bulbs, and unplugging "energy vampires" can make a difference.
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