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Debby downer: “saturating” storm floods Florida, disrupts cruise itineraries
Tropical storm Debby flooded parts of Florida with torrential rain and heavy winds as it turns toward the U.S. Eastern Seaboard's low-lying regions.
Debby made landfall along the Gulf Coast of Florida early Monday morning (Aug. 5) as a Category 1 hurricane. It has since weakened to a tropical storm and is moving slowly, filling roads with water, and has contributed to at least four deaths, reports says.
The U.S. National Hurricane Centre (NHC) says record-setting rain is expected to cause flash flooding, with up to 76 centimetres possible in some areas.
A storm surge warning is in effect for Altamaha Sound, Georgia to South Santee River, South Carolina, the NHC said Tuesday.
A storm surge warning means there is a danger of life-threatening inundation, from rising water moving inland from the coastline.
At a news briefing yesterday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis warned that just because Debby is moving Georgia, it doesn't mean Florida won't continue to see threats as waterways north of the state border fill up and flow south
"It is a very saturating, wet storm," DeSantis told the media. "When they crest and the water that's going to come down from Georgia, it's just something that we're going to be on alert for not just throughout today, but for the next week."
Debby disrupts travel
Debby was a bit of downer for some vacationers seeking sun and relaxation in parts of Florida.
Cruise operations at Port Tampa Bay on Florida’s Gulf Coast led to a postponed return of the Margaritaville at Sea Islander on Sunday.
The storm also affected the Carnival Paradise. Originally scheduled to return to its homeport on MOnday, the Paradise is now scheduled to dock on Tuesday.
Other Carnival ships that were impacted by Debby included Carnival Elation, which sailed from Jacksonville one day early.
Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas also skipped a scheduled stop. After departing from Cape Liberty, New Jersey, passengers onboard the Oasis Class ship on August 2 sailing were notified that they'd be skipping their stop in Florida.
"Due to expected adverse weather coming into Florida early next week, and after exploring all options, we will skip our visit to Orlando (Port Canaveral) on Day 3 and have a Sea Day instead. To help make up for this change, we've added some time to our visit in Nassau, Bahamas, and will not arrive at 8:00 am," reads letter that was distributed to passengers.
Flights from Tampa and Orlando were also disrupted on Monday. At its peak, Debby caused 150 flight cancelations and 216 delays, reported Fox 13.
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