USA Storm "Debby" reaches the US state of Florida

Storm Debby made landfall in the US state of Florida as a category 1 hurricane out of 5 and was downgraded to a tropical storm shortly afterwards. According to media reports, the storm claimed several lives. According to the website PowerOutage, hundreds of thousands of households in Florida are without power. Several flights in the region were canceled.

A teenager died near the town of Fanning Springs after a tree fell on one of the trailers in a trailer park, according to broadcaster WCJB. NBC News reported on a weather-related car accident in Dixie County in which two people died, including a child.

"Debby" has been causing strong winds and heavy rain in the south of the USA since the early hours of the morning (local time). According to the US weather service, the storm will move on towards the states of Georgia and South Carolina during the course of the day. Severe weather warnings have been issued for the entire region. There is particular concern about the possibility of severe flooding.

Tropical cyclones form over warm ocean waters. Increasing global warming increases the likelihood of strong storms. A hurricane is defined as a wind speed of 119 kilometers per hour or more.