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Debby goes from wind to water hazard

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Rising waters: Floridians navigate flooded streets as Tropical Storm Debby pounds the Tampa Bay area

Tropical Storm Debby, the first named storm of 2012 to move into the Gulf of Mexico, moved slowly over the northern Gulf of Mexico on Monday, dumping heavy rains and threatening to bring flooding and tornadoes to parts of Florida.Now catastrophe modellers following the storm say Debby may become a major flood event for parts of Florida as the system moves onshore and stalls. That means losses are more likely in the government-backed program than private wind policies.While Debby continues to exert sustained tropical force winds of about 60 miles per hour, cat modelling firm, Risk Management Solutions (RMS) says rainfall accumulations of 10 to 15 inches are forecast over the Panhandle and northern part of Florida — with isolated maximum amounts of 25 inches possible according to cat modelling firm. RMS says the main risks associated with Debby are coastal flooding related to storm surge, flooding as a result of heavy rainfall and the risk of a few tornadoes.RMS says that Debby is a large system with tropical storm force winds extending outward up to 200 miles, but “is almost stationary” with rainfall already hitting coastal Florida to the northeast of Tallahassee.The National Hurricane Center said in an advisory shortly before 2pm East Coast time that Debby is expected to make landfall early June 28 west of Gainesville.

Flooded Florida: A Florida man walks out to the seawall behind his flooded neighbourhood to inspect damage as the storm surge and high winds associated with Tropical Storm Debby batter Bradenton Beach