President Joe Biden has approved an emergency declaration for Florida, Fox News reports.

This comes as the state is about to get hit by Hurricane Debby.

At the time of this writing, the storm just made landfall as a Category 1 hurricane.

Time magazine explains:

In a Category 1 hurricane, winds range from 74 to 95 mph. Falling debris could strike people, livestock and pets, and older mobile homes could be destroyed. Protected glass windows will generally make it through the hurricane without major damage. Frame homes, apartments and shopping centers may experience some damage, and snapped power lines could result in short-term power outages.

Why the emergency declaration?

What the emergency declaration essentially does is free up federal resources to help the state to deal with the weather event, especially with its aftermath.

Fox explains, "The president’s move helps free up federal resources and authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate all disaster relief efforts, the White House said."

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has also declared a state of emergency, and, on Sunday morning, he briefed the residents of his state on what to expect.

"I'd urge all Floridians to be cognizant of the fact that we are going to have a hurricane hit the state, probably a Category 1, but it could be a little bit more powerful than that," the governor said.

He added, "But we are absolutely going to see a lot of rainfall. We are going to see a lot of saturation. We are going to see flooding events. There is also going to be power outages."

Early tragedy

Before the hurricane made landfall, a separate storm led to the death of a Florida woman.

"A death investigation is underway after a Lake Helen woman was electrocuted during a storm outside her Volusia County home on Friday evening, according to deputies," Fox 35 Orlando reported.

The outlet went on to describe the circumstances that led to the woman's death.

Fox reported:

The Volusia Sheriff's Office said the 39-year-old woman and her husband were working in their barn during heavy rain when the incident happened. The husband told deputies he heard her scream and found her holding onto a metal drum, seemingly being electrocuted. The husband reportedly kicked the fan away and performed life-saving measures until emergency personnel arrived.

The woman was then taken to the hospital where she eventually succumbed to her injuries.