Hurricane Hermine Leaves 1 Dead – Over 250K Without Power

Hurricane Damage
Photo: Instagram/Sea Hag Marina
Bob Price

Hurricane Hermine, now a tropical storm, left one person dead in its wake and more than 250,000 electrical customers without power.

Florida Governor Rick Scott said one person was killed after being struck by a falling tree during the storm. A medical examiner is expected to confirm the cause of death at a later time, KTLA reported Friday morning.

Hurricane Hermine made landfall overnight and quickly weakened to a tropical storm. Flooding from a tidal surge followed the storm inland in Florida’s Big Bend region. The flooding forced evacuation of residents in the communities of Ozello, Hernando Beach, and New Port Richey, according to BayNews9. The rising tides forced water into the homes in these communities.

“The rain bands set up right on top of us,” Bay News 9 Meteorologist Brian McClure reported Friday morning. “The strong winds are moving in from the south-southwest so storm surge is ongoing from the Big Bend down to Citrus, Hernando and Pasco counties where all this water is being shoved up against the sea walls.”

Some areas of the coastal region are expected to see up to five inches of rainfall on top of the tidal surge waters. Some were rescued via boats and Humvees.

While winds barely reached hurricane strength, at least one community experienced major structural damage to homes as a result of the storm, The Weather Channel reported.

According to the Perry Police Department’s Facebook page, “The Taylor County Coast has sustained severe damage as a result of Hurricane Hermine. The Taylor County Sheriff’s Office will be setting up checkpoints near Keaton Beach, Dekle Beach, and Steinhatchee to restrict the flow of traffic into the most affected areas. Law Enforcement and emergency personnel will be assessing the areas as soon as possible and will allow residents to re-enter the area as soon as the areas are deemed safe.”

Tropical Storm Hermine is expected to continue its march northeastward across southern Georgia and into the Carolinas later on Friday. It will likely continue in a weakened fashion northward along the Atlantic coast. Tropical storm watches and warnings are posted as far north as Connecticut, the National Hurricane Center reported on Friday.

Bob Price serves as associate editor and senior political news contributor for Breitbart Texas. He is a founding member of the Breitbart Texas team. Follow him on Twitter @BobPriceBBTX.

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