USA Weather Severe weather Tropical storm "Debby" heads for Florida

Tropical Storm Debby moved towards the Gulf Coast of the US state of Florida on Sunday. According to the authorities, there is a threat of life-threatening storm surges along the Gulf coast of Florida, which could reach up to three meters in some areas.

The tropical storm is expected to reach the northern region of Big Bend on Monday afternoon (local time). By then, the storm could have the strength of a hurricane, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

"Debby" could bring "historic rainfall" and threaten "catastrophic flooding", the NHC added. In the coming days, the storm will continue to move northeast across the states of Georgia and South Carolina.

Evacuations ordered

"We are expecting very, very heavy flooding, especially in north-central Florida," said the state's governor, Ron DeSantis, at an emergency meeting on Sunday. The Florida National Guard is ready for deployment with 3,000 people.

At 5 p.m. (local time, 11 p.m. CEST), "Debby" was located about 190 kilometers west of Tampa. The authorities had already ordered evacuations and residents were urged to make final preparations.