2 journalists killed as Alberto makes landfall in Florida

Waves from Subtropical Storm Alberto.
(Image credit: AP Photo/Dan Anderson)

Two journalists with the NBC affiliate WYFF were killed on Monday in Polk County, North Carolina, when a tree downed by Subtropical Storm Alberto fell on their SUV.

The station, based in Greenville, South Carolina, tweeted that its employees are "grieving. We are a family." The incident occurred just north of the South Carolina state line, NBC News reports, in an area considered dangerous and vulnerable to flash flooding. The victims have been identified as anchor Mike McCormick and photographer Aaron Smeltzer.

Alberto made landfall Monday afternoon near Laguna Beach, Florida, in the state's Panhandle. Heavy rains are expected in Florida and parts of Georgia, South Carolina, and Alabama, with forecasters saying there is the possibility of brief tornadoes as well. Alberto is maintaining its strength, with maximum sustained winds of 45 mph.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.