By: Nina He

As the summer season wraps up and winter prepares to bring biting weather and rain, hurricanes are becoming more common. One of those hurricanes is Hurricane Debby.

Hurricane Debby strengthened into a hurricane on Sunday night, only a few hours before it was anticipated to go over Florida’s Big Bend coast and will bring flooding and heavy rainfall to the Southeast region sometime this week.

This dangerous situation had merited emergency resources and short-term shelters to be created for people living in the storm’s path in Florida, Georgia, and South Caroline. Expected to hit today, Debby brought winds of 75 miles per hour and storm surges to 10 feet.

“This is a life-threatening situation,” the National Hurricane Center reported.

Tampa and other parts of the Florida Gulf Coast have also experienced the life-threatening symptoms of the hurricane, with heavy rains and high winds.

Debby was expected to unleash 6 to 12 inches of rain in some parts of Florida, while rainfall was expected to be 10 to 20 inches in Georgia and South Carolina.

The governor of Georgia, Brain P. Kemp declared a state of emergency, as did the governor of South Carolina, Henry McMaster, further cementing the fact that Hurricane Debby is a force to be reckoned with.

“It is critical that residents in potentially affected areas start making preparations and plans in case it is necessary to take quick action,” said McMaster.

Hurricanes can be dangerous and deadly, and it is vital to listen to officials to maintain safety for yourself and others.