Georgia and South Carolina hit by Tropical Storm Debby

Firefighters Ron Strauss, (right) and Andrew Stevenson (left) carry food to residents in the Tremont Park area of Savannah (Stephen B Morton/AP/PA)

Tropical Storm Debby drenched coastal cities in Georgia and South Carolina, stirred up tornadoes and submerged streets with waist-high floodwaters on Tuesday.

Charleston and Savannah took the first blow, with up to a foot of rain falling along the coast between the two cities in just over 24 hours.