As Tropical Storm Debby approaches Florida, authorities are investigating the tragic electrocution death of a 39-year-old woman from Lake Helen. The incident occurred during severe weather on Friday evening while she and her husband were working in their barn. According to the Volusia Sheriff’s Office, her husband reported hearing her scream and found her holding onto a metal drum while being electrocuted. After kicking a fan away that was in contact with the drum, he attempted life-saving measures until EMS arrived, but she later succumbed to her injuries at the hospital.
Investigators believe that puddles of water in the barn may have contributed to the accident, as a worn power cable connected to the fan was submerged in the water. A medical examiner is set to perform an autopsy to confirm the cause of death.
Tropical Storm Debby is rapidly strengthening and is anticipated to make landfall as a hurricane in Florida’s Big Bend region on Monday. The National Hurricane Center warns that it could reach at least Category 1 strength. The storm poses a significant flooding threat not just to Florida but potentially extending to the East Coast, with forecasts indicating “historic rainfall” and “potentially catastrophic flooding” affecting low-lying coastal areas in Georgia and South Carolina.
As of a recent update, Debby was located approximately 130 miles west-southwest of Tampa, Florida, and was moving north-northwest at about 13 mph, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. Flooding is expected to be most severe in areas like Savannah, Georgia, and coastal regions of South Carolina, starting as early as Tuesday and lasting through Friday.