Tropical Storm Debby, which has already drowned northwest Florida in 15 inches of rain, will soon make landfall after four days of creeping towards the state. Florida is now in a state of emergency as it deals with extensive flooding and tornado activity the storm caused while still in the Gulf of Mexico.
More than 30,000 Floridians have already lost power due to Debby, and utilities expect many more when the storm makes landfall, CBS News reports. Much of the power loss has been attributed to the more than 20 reported tornadoes in the state. There's also extensive flooding -- enough to open several sinkholes and erode beaches up and down Florida's west coast.
Officials expect at least another eight inches of rain by Monday, bringing the precipitation total to over two feet and enough to spur widespread evacuations. Florida has not yet requested federal assistance, though that could change if Debby's landfall brings major flooding. According to the National Weather Service Debby will soon weaken to become a tropical depression, but because it is moving at just three miles per hour, the storm still poses increased flood risk due to storm surges and cresting rivers.
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