Threat of storm surges

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(Bild: kameraOne (Screenshot))

Tropical Storm Debby approached the Gulf Coast of the US state of Florida on Sunday and is expected to reach the northern region of Big Bend on Monday afternoon (local time). By then, it could have the strength of a hurricane, according to the National Hurricane Center (NHC).

According to the authority, there is a threat of life-threatening storm surges along Florida's Gulf Coast, which could reach up to three meters in some areas. "Debby" could bring "historic rainfall" and there is a threat of "catastrophic flooding", the NHC added. In the coming days, the storm will continue to move north-east across the states of Georgia and South Carolina.

US National Guard ready for action
Heavy rainfall could occur in northern Florida over the course of the week. "We are expecting very heavy flooding, especially in north-central Florida," said the state's governor, Ron DeSantis, at an emergency meeting on Sunday. The Florida National Guard is ready for deployment with 3,000 troops.

According to the US authority NHC, there is a threat of life-threatening storm surges along the Gulf coast of Florida.(Bild: kameraOne (Screenshot))

At 5 p.m. (local time) on Sunday, "Debby" - the fourth named storm in this year's Atlantic hurricane season - was located around 190 kilometers west of Tampa. The authorities have already ordered the first evacuations and residents have been urged to make final preparations.

When do we speak of a hurricane?

The term hurricane probably goes back to the language of the Taíno, the indigenous people of the Greater Antilles. According to a definition by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO for short), a storm is a hurricane if its wind speed exceeds 119 kilometers per hour. There are five categories: The most severe hurricanes have wind speeds of more than 240 kilometers per hour.