June 27, 2012 – Tropical storm Debby may have left Florida and drifted into the ocean, but North Florida’s citizens are still feeling her effects in the form of ongoing rain and flooding. IAFF members as part of Urban Flood and Rescue teams are rescuing people trapped by high waters, turning off utilities and assisting citizens in any other way they can until flood waters subside.

“Florida, as of late, has been lucky not to have had a major hurricane make landfall,” says IAFF 12th District Vice President Larry Osborne. “So while a tropical storm does not cause as much wind damage or power outages as a hurricane, Debby was an important reminder to us as to just how much water these strong storms can produce and what we must be prepared to do.”

Osborne explains, “In Florida, if we get more than 12 inches of rain in a short period of time, there is nowhere for it to go. Therefore, it takes awhile before the standing water dissipates, which is a problem.”

Debby made landfall on June 26 and dumped more than 2 feet of rain on the state. The storm is the fourth named storm of the 2012 hurricane season, marking the first time in recorded weather history (records date back to 1851) that four storms have formed before the end of June. Usually, the fourth named storm does not occur until August.

Thus far, no fire fighter homes have been reported to be affected by the flooding. However, any member who is experiencing home damage should contact District Vice President Osborne to fill out an IAFF Disaster Relief form.