A 13-year-old boy died when a tree was blown onto a mobile home in Levy County, the sheriff’s office there said, after Debby made landfall on Florida’s Gulf Coast earlier Monday as a Category One hurricane.
Authorities said a truck driver was killed after his 18-wheeler plunged into a canal in Hillsborough County, while a 38-year-old woman and 12-year-old boy died in a car crash in Dixie County.
According to the National Hurricane Centre, the storm moved into Georgia overnight and is expected to go offshore before approaching the South Carolina coast on Thursday.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said that some 250,000 residents in his state were without power.
President Joe Biden has approved emergency declarations for Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, allowing for federal assistance in coordinating disaster relief efforts.
DeSantis also activated his state’s National Guard, with more than 3,000 service members mobilised to help with storm response.
Tropical Storm Debby is a severe weather system characterised by strong winds and heavy rainfall. It formed over the ocean and made landfall, causing significant damage and disruptions.