Flash flood warnings were issued for parts of Florida and Georgia early Tuesday, as rain from Tropical Storm Debby continued to lash the southeast coast.
In Wakulla County, Fla., authorities advised people to stay in their homes and off the roads due to the risk of flooding.
Weather.com’s severe weather expert Greg Forbes said Debby could create a number of isolated tornadoes in Florida.
Heavy rain and flooding would affect much of Florida and southeast Georgia for the next few days, the website said.
Weather.com published a video showing a family and their two dogs being rescued from Dog Island, Florida.
"Portions of northern Florida and southeast Georgia could see another 2 to 6 inches of rain (locally heavier in persistent rainbands),” the website said.
Storms arrive early
 Weather.com also said storm surge flooding was a "significant threat along the Florida Panhandle coast and the western coast of Florida," Weather.com added.
"Incidentally, Debby has become the record earliest-in-season 4th named Atlantic storm, leapfrogging Dennis from July 5, 2005," the website said. "In an average year, the 4th named storm would have occurred by August 23. So, in terms of named storm counts, we're roughly two months ahead of the pace. That said, there is no correlation between a fast start to the season and the degree of activity of the rest of the season."
Florida governor Rick Scott has declared a statewide emergency.
The National Weather Service forwarded a civil emergency message from Wakulla County Emergency Management early Tuesday.
"Flooding continues across much of Wakulla County early this morning with water over roads and road washouts," it said.
"Therefore the Wakulla County Emergency Management requests that people stay at home and off the roads today. Travel is strongly discouraged and could still be dangerous across parts of the area," it added.
The message said anyone whose home was flooded should call 850-745-7100 for help.
There were also flash flood warnings for Baker, Columbia, Hamilton, Suwannee, Northern Nassau, Lafayetta, and Eastern Taylor counties in Florida and Charlton and Camden counties in southeast Georgia.
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