Now a tropical storm: Fatalities in Florida as Debby continues

At least four people have passed away in the wake of Hurricane Debby, which made landfall in Florida on Monday.

Debby made landfall near Steinhatchee, Florida at around 07:00 am local time on Monday as a category 1 system with sustained winds of 80 mph and heavy rainfall.

By 09:00 am, power outages impacting more than 260,000 customers were reported in the state, with flash-flooding and dangerous storm surge also adding to the danger.

Despite being downgraded to a tropical storm at around 11:00 am, Debby continued to deliver sustained winds of 70 mph while moving further inland, impacting Georgia.

At least four deaths were confirmed by the afternoon, all in Florida, as the system continued along its path. As a slow-moving system, numerous states expect rainfall records to be broken.

Debby continues to sit over the south-east of America, and will continue to move northeast along the coastal states.