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Once again, Tift County has been spared from the brunt of a major storm as Tropical Storm Debby veered to the east in Georgia after coming ashore Monday morning as a Category 1 hurricane in Steinhatchee, Fla.
The Tiftarea was struck by outer bands of the storm, causing some scattered power outages and downing tree limbs. A tree was reported down across Prince Avenue on Monday. Only approximately 2.5 inches of rain was recorded in Tifton from the storm.
However, the storm was more severe in several nearby areas. Pearson and Valdosta are among areas reporting flooding, and Valdosta experienced at least four overflows in its sewage system from the tropical storm. Thousands of residents also lost power in the Valdosta area.
In Moultrie, a 19-year-old man died Monday afternoon when a tree fell on his house, authorities said. Derrien Bernard Razz was on his porch when a pine tree fell, striking the porch at 621 13th Ave. S.W.
The Moultrie death is one of at least six reported from the storm around the Southeastern United States. A 13-year-old boy also died Monday after a tree fell on a mobile home southwest of Gainesville, Fla., according to the Levy County Sheriff's Office.
In Dixie County, Fla., just east of where the storm made landfall, a 38-year-old woman and a 12-year-old boy died in a car crash on wet roads Sunday night.
A truck driver on Interstate 75 in the Tampa area died Monday after losing control of his tractor trailer, flipping over a concrete wall and dropping into the water below, police said.
Also, a 48-year-old man in Gulfport, Fla., who was on his anchored sailboat, died after his boat partially sank, authorities said.
As of Tuesday night, Tropical Storm Debby was moving slowly just southeast of Savannah. It was expected to head out to sea before making landfall again in South Carolina, which is already experiencing heavy rain, flooding, and isolated tornadoes.
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