CEDAR KEY, Fla. – A teenage boy died in Levy County as Hurricane Debby made landfall as a Category 1 storm in northern Florida, officials said Monday morning.
The 13-year-old was inside of a home in Fanning Springs and died when the tree fell on top of the house, officials with Levy County Emergency Management said.
He was a student at Chiefland/Middle High School and living with his grandparents at the time; both were home but uninjured, sheriff’s officials said.
The storm is also bringing heavy rain and storm surge to Cedar Key, also in Levy County, as well as other parts of Florida.
A Local 10 News crew in Cedar Key reported seeing downed trees and flooding in the island community.
Officials in Cedar Key turned off water in the community but residents, who have frequently dealt with tropical weather, were largely calm as the storm rolled through.
“We are pretty resilient,” one resident said. “We do this all the time.”
We are hearing about the first death in Levy County here in Florida due to Hurricane Debby. A 13-year-old boy in Fanning Springs has died after a tree fell on top of a house, killing him. According to officials with @LevyCountyEM @Levysostar. @WPLGLocal10
— Hannah Yechivi (@WPLGHannah) August 5, 2024